ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Serious Fraud Office

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Attorney-General whether he has considered taking steps to make the Serious Fraud Office more accountable to Parliament.

Edward Garnier: The Law Officers are already fully accountable to Parliament for the work of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), and the Director of the SFO ensures his department supports the Law Officers in fulfilling this duty as set out in the protocol between the Attorney-General and the prosecuting departments which was published in July 2009 and can be found on the following website:
	http://www.attorneygeneral.gov.uk/Publications/Pages/CriminalJusticeReports.aspx

Serious Fraud Office

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Attorney-General what steps he is taking to increase transparency in the operation of the Serious Fraud Office.

Edward Garnier: The Law Officers are committed to the Government's transparency agenda and have made it clear to all of the Law Officer's Departments (LODs) that they expect them to meet their obligations to make all relevant information available. The Attorney-General's Office works closely with the LODs to help them meet those requirements.

Serious Fraud Office: Operating Costs

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Attorney-General what the cost to the public purse was of the Serious Fraud Office in each of the last five years.

Edward Garnier: The information requested is contained in the following table:
	
		
			 Total departmental spending (1) 
			  Outturn (£ million) 
			 2006-07 42.870 
			 2007-08 45.937 
			 2008-09 52.801 
			 2009-10 40.403 
			 2010-11 36.423 
			 (1) Total departmental spending is the sum of the resource budget and the capital budget less depreciation. The resource budget includes vote funding (funding for normal operational activities agreed with HMT), “blockbuster funding”—additional funding to support the costs of investigating/prosecuting large cases (discontinued after 2010-11) and one-off modernisation funding, £8,250 million in 2008-09 and £1,138 million in 2009-10 for a transformation programme for the SFO. 
		
	
	This information is routinely published in the annual SFO Resource Accounts which are available on the official documents website at:
	http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

G4S

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many contracts his Department has awarded to G4S since May 2010; and what the (a) purpose, (b) monetary value and (c) net worth was of each such contract.

John Penrose: The Department has not awarded any contracts to G4S since May 2010.

National Football Museum

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the cost to the public purse was of the closure of the National Football Museum in Preston.

Hugh Robertson: As an independent organisation, the specific cost of the relocation of the National Football Museum from Preston to Manchester is an operational matter for the museum. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport provided the following grant funding to contribute to the operational costs of the museum from 2003-04 to 2010-11. No funding has been allocated for this spending period.
	
		
			  Total (£ million) 
			 2003-04 0.100 
			 2004-05 0.100 
			 2005-06 0.100 
			 2006-07 0.100 
			 2007-08 0.100 
			 2008-09 0.103 
			 2009-10 0.105 
			 2010-11 0.105

Postcodes

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether his Department uses postcodes for purposes other than the postage of mail.

John Penrose: The Department uses postcodes for analytical and mapping purposes, including for statistical modelling and for the random selection of households (undertaken by the survey contractors) to be included in the sample for the Taking Part survey.

RMS Titanic: Anniversaries

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what funding his Development has allocated to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.

Edward Vaizey: This Department is aware of a number of initiatives to mark the centenary of the sinking of the Titanic. A number of national and regional museums and heritage centres have plans to mark the occasion. These include the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, and the cities of Southampton, where the Titanic embarked, and Belfast, where she was built.
	Southampton city council was awarded £4.6 million by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) in March 2010 to create a new “Southampton Sea City Museum” which will include a permanent gallery on “Southampton's Titanic Story”.
	In 2008 the HLF awarded a grant of £50,000 to Northern Ireland Science Park (NISP) for a project based at the Titanic's Dock and Pump-House in Belfast and also awarded a grant of £174,500 to National Museums Northern Ireland (Ulster Folk and Transport Museum) towards the development of its collection “Titanic: Built in Belfast”. In July 2011 HLF awarded a grant of £3,250,000 to a project to restore the Nomadic—the Titanic's tender vessel—to restore and tell the story of the Nomadic and Belfast in 1911 and 1912.
	In addition, the Phillips Memorial Park in Godalming, Surrey, the largest built memorial to a single Titanic victim, received confirmation of a full second round grant of over £335,000. This project is a joint scheme between HLF and the Big Lottery Fund's joint Parks for People programme and will restore the memorial in time for the centenary.
	A ‘Your Heritage' award from HLF is also being used to support a project in Maryport, exploring the impact of the sinking of the Titanic.

JUSTICE

Contracts: EU Law

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the potential effect on the UK of the European Commission proposals to harmonise contract law within the EU.

Kenneth Clarke: The proposal is for the creation of an optional sale of goods law which would be part of the national law of every member state. This optional law could be used by parties involved in the cross-border sale of goods and digital content as an alternative to national contract law. The Commission asserts that this is an alternative regime which would sit alongside, rather than change, national laws.
	The Ministry of Justice intends to publish a UK-wide call for evidence soon to obtain evidence and views from businesses and consumers on the potential effect of the legislative proposal on the UK and also to inform the UK Government's position. We have also received advice from the Law Commission that we will use to inform our negotiating position.

G4S

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many contracts his Department has awarded to G4S since May 2010; and what the (a) purpose, (b) monetary value and (c) net worth was of each such contract.

Crispin Blunt: The Ministry of Justice has awarded two contracts to G4S since May 2010. The estimated monetary value for the life of the two contracts is £828.3 million.
	
		
			 Contract Estimated total value for the life of the contract (net worth ) (£ million) Current estimat ed annual value of the contract (£ million) Number of years 
			 HMP Birmingham (operate and maintain prison) 468.3 31.2 15 
			 HMP Featherstone II (operate and maintain prison) 360.0 24.0 15

Legal Aid Scheme

Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many cases of legal representation were provided through the Legal Aid Exceptional Funding Scheme in 2009-10; and what the cost to the public purse was of such representation.
	(2)  how many cases of legal assistance were provided for through the Legal Aid Exceptional Funding Scheme in 2009-10; and what the cost to the public purse was of such assistance.

Jonathan Djanogly: This information is held by the Legal Services Commission (LSC).
	112 new cases were granted funding during 2009-10. There was a net spend during that year of £1.68 million, although payments do not necessarily relate to the new cases approved within that year.
	These figures cover both representation and assistance approved under the Exceptional Funding scheme. These figures are not separated in the LSC's records as all payments are made under the same process. In practice these are cases funded for representation with occasional assistance funding included. All other assistance is provided through in-scope funding in the normal way.

Youth Justice

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  if he will introduce measures for the Youth Justice Advisory Board to be given a specific responsibility to assess and report on the independence of the Youth Justice Division; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether his proposed Youth Justice Division will undertake outreach work;
	(3)  if he will take steps to create a forum for feedback on the effectiveness of his proposed Youth Justice Advisory Board.

Crispin Blunt: The Youth Justice Division and Youth Justice Advisory Board were part of the Government's proposals for the new national governance of youth justice and were contingent on the abolition of the Youth Justice Board.
	The Government have announced that they are no longer pursuing the abolition of the Youth Justice Board through the Public Bodies Bill. The Youth Justice Division and the Youth Justice Advisory Board will therefore not be established.

Youth Offending Teams: Expenditure

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the budget was of each youth offending team in each year between 1997-98 and 2010-11.

Crispin Blunt: These figures were not collected prior to 2002-03. Details of figures from 2002-03 onwards are contained in the following table.
	
		
			 Youth offending teams (YOTs) from 2002-03 to 2009-10 
			  Total 
			  2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 
			 Barking and Dagenham 1,647,604 2,260,525 2,374,576 3,200,676 2,248,632 2,411,888 2,843,877 2,618,901 
			 Barnet 603,089 692,884 1,012,829 1,128,613 1,125,093 1,242,567 1,296,346 1,314,682 
			 Barnsley 1,037,949 1,105,492 1,148,348 1,369,571 1,586,699 1,678,693 2,092,647 2,026,020 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 460,046 622,517 588,272 646,708 743,120 1,073,167 821,763 926,814 
			 Bedfordshire 1,745,621 2,083,954 1,957,701 2,218,843 2,419,135 2,533,993 2,674,410 3,015,838 
			 Bexley 673,639 758,351 1,055,354 1,140,123 1,211,371 1,100,226 1,140,142 1,087,325 
			 Birmingham 6,951,677 8,414,411 10,428,001 10,777,348 11,176,051 11,904,951 11,227,489 10,405,939 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 1,272,070 1,490,291 2,001,984 1,909,852 1,936,552 1,630,567 2,327,584 2,178,654 
			 Blackpool 1,262,651 2,356,005 1,954,343 2,120,965 1,894,135 1,611,535 1,801,334 1,807,901 
			 Blaenau, Gwent and Caerphilly 1,872,950 2,066,903 1,713,958 2,243,444 2,026,743 2,789,369 2,399,273 2,385,825 
			 Bolton 1,926,265 1,496,021 1,740,022 1,827,351 1,798,504 1,759,683 1,925,095 2,028,619 
			 Bournemouth and Poole 999,532 1,213,504 1,373,277 1,239,684 1,323,397 1,334,591 1,347,589 1,508,341 
			 Bracknell Forest 621,139 624,005 617,642 613,235 630,528 695,119 740,954 767,525 
			 Bradford 3,326,424 3,969,527 4,320,093 4,589,717 4,744,329 4,658,310 4,897,171 4,737,770 
			 Brent 1,227,216 1,243,348 1,482,522 1,684,928 1,858,605 2,316,084 2,252,245 3,229,746 
			 Bridgend 666,283 698,192 688,059 827,357 898,037 943,298 1,011,191 960,643 
			 Brighton and Hove 1,127,818 1,228,396 1,093,887 1,590,716 1,195,425 1,368,187 1,528,271 1,498,647 
			 Bristol 2,454,267 2,611,054 2,683,555 3,347,345 3,864,400 4,331,089 4,149,838 4,185,672 
			 Bromley 683,332 812,552 885,255 1,113,031 1,035,544 1,258,108 1,755,759 1,816,379 
			 Buckinghamshire 1,371,715 1,687,041 1,684,457 1,740,875 2,183,090 2,236,525 2,424,254 2,226,579 
			 Bury 974,486 1,001,485 1,166,663 1,317,608 1,904,233 2,097,280 1,665,333 1,669,963 
			 Calderdale 1,437,686 1,339,462 1,944,670 2,240,398 2,522,582 1,939,707 2,047,557 1,981,805 
			 Cambridgeshire 1,826,082 1,727,567 1,658,336 1,726,751 1,832,854 2,084,115 2,066,562 2,321,328 
			 Camden 2,536,346 3,173,922 2,022,469 2,505,802 2,639,399 2,814,276 2,865,133 3,244,120 
			 Cardiff 1,439,019 1,352,068 1,419,958 2,012,337 2,159,703 3,493,522 2,835,433 2,945,598 
			 Carmarthenshire 759,420 842,780 992,925 1,079,266 1,319,050 1,316,676 1,495,055 1,662,035 
			 Ceredigion(1) 0 0 0 590,367 689,650 743,841 747,317 801,196 
			 Cheshire 1,745,376 1,915,629 1,850,897 2,151,153 2,673,825 3,183,461 2,881,112 3,285,473 
			 Conwy and Denbighshire 716,939 1,097,024 1,248,217 1,073,300 1,208,085 1,146,792 1,221,352 1,279,170 
			 Cornwall 1,329,442 2,277,737 1,478,011 1,550,054 1,870,500 2,021,943 2,181,114 2,376,722 
			 Coventry 2,223,216 2,385,894 2,434,931 2,906,019 3,314,830 3,438,515 3,490,338 3,110,360 
			 Croydon 2,071,014 2,412,822 2,546,031 3,169,688 3,565,038 3,455,445 3,802,833 3,547,809 
			 Cumbria 1,768,569 1,971,543 2,194,969 2,464,441 2,457,172 2,706,513 2,951,979 3,107,085 
			 Darlington 614,082 636,461 1,090,715 992,176 1,264,822 1,239,978 1,236,709 1,109,154 
			 Derby 1,473,298 2,489,007 2,403,638 2,456,179 2,600,774 2,792,263 2,806,919 3,032,655 
			 Derbyshire 2,174,794 2,303,881 2,230,740 2,335,057 2,595,522 2,877,029 3,305,483 4,233,870 
			 Devon 2,179,168 2,235,739 2,110,770 2,572,066 2,717,288 3,790,536 3,650,090 3,308,729 
			 Doncaster 1,640,972 1,680,340 1,875,715 2,440,389 2,601,031 2,815,236 2,971,561 2,949,866 
			 Dorset 879,597 913,479 1,121,158 1,214,992 1,478,137 1,670,619 1,975,021 2,032,302 
			 Dudley 1,783,131 1,855,289 1,909,749 2,018,480 2,193,460 2,404,303 2,501,574 2,576,355 
			 Durham 3,362,078 5,327,063 5,076,576 5,619,658 5,016,778 5,301,366 5,290,140 5,443,976 
			 Ealing 1,623,794 1,917,027 2,230,320 2,311,532 2,382,703 2,167,527 1,901,643 2,216,992 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 736,517 828,970 961,179 1,035,304 1,299,106 1,446,081 1,449,593 1,605,150 
			 East Sussex 1,383,821 1,507,972 1,633,775 1,796,670 2,000,624 2,246,508 2,570,228 2,692,573 
			 Enfield 937,313 1,339,585 1,051,709 1,323,330 2,016,844 2,158,429 2,198,743 2,771,552 
			 Essex 2,550,052 3,068,729 3,375,710 3,683,098 4,022,627 4,156,126 4,343,840 5,691,710 
		
	
	
		
			 Flintshire 517,592 599,611 635,311 961,232 912,824 1,412,573 1,354,398 1,582,045 
			 Gateshead 1,036,768 2,066,091 2,006,816 2,153,180 2,150,906 2,270,557 2,420,130 2,511,244 
			 Gloucestershire 2,163,941 2,372,009 2,392,217 2,772,965 3,160,592 3,336,992 4,437,406 4,165,666 
			 Greenwich 1,820,695 1,986,403 2,005,905 2,479,861 1,985,550 2,533,485 1,984,259 2,988,247 
			 Gwynedd Môn 466,793 664,784 690,094 851,075 1,091,748 1,281,362 1,305,445 1,458,474 
			 Hackney 2,394,104 2,516,207 2,965,794 3,314,503 3,438,746 4,427,302 4,253,351 4,206,313 
			 Halton and Warrington 1,014,026 1,394,063 1,357,263 1,627,248 1,891,965 2,120,667 2,141,511 2,220,202 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 1,877,596 1,896,245 2,041,211 1,949,590 1,951,948 2,081,967 2,018,264 2,585,457 
			 Haringey 1,412,988 1,971,367 2,231,372 2,615,388 2,902,726 3,417,389 3,154,659 3,536,738 
			 Harrow 871,090 959,840 879,587 887,634 1,105,903 1,384,370 1,437,486 1,049,251 
			 Hartlepool 977,814 971,230 1,028,113 1,173,700 1,361,320 1,434,397 1,474,033 1,425,452 
			 Havering 644,130 760,006 996,078 1,034,600 1,083,475 1,299,150 1,297,003 1,382,691 
			 Hertfordshire 2,692,884 2,866,190 4,323,466 4,046,056 4,286,660 4,359,912 4,356,437 4,598,524 
			 Hillingdon 1,011,454 1,095,837 883,633 1,270,903 1,648,608 1,794,128 1,822,119 2,150,226 
			 Hounslow 789,525 824,527 1,125,393 1,333,348 1,356,168 1,594,675 1,743,616 1,643,931 
			 Islington 1,488,157 1,423,117 1,678,528 1,886,360 2,032,721 2,420,689 1,931,383 2,364,016 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 809,112 933,355 1,203,388 1,581,496 1,507,812 1,734,316 1,745,106 2,006,337 
			 Kent 5,333,404 5,643,858 5,984,054 6,467,839 7,065,902 7,986,424 7,771,024 7,361,466 
			 Kingston-upon-Hull 1,499,117 1,691,858 1,900,984 2,225,052 2,309,850 2,602,458 2,668,233 2,696,154 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 649,021 813,897 782,004 773,993 912,584 968,476 1,011,074 1,016,900 
			 Kirklees 1,947,235 2,163,749 2,663,509 2,997,990 3,103,081 3,349,319 3,286,320 3,516,755 
			 Knowsley 1,844,071 1,581,591 1,552,336 2,724,890 3,028,912 2,671,169 2,560,705 2,491,479 
			 Lambeth 2,402,016 2,482,286 3,082,276 2,949,428 3,143,593 3,221,857 3,544,901 3,540,421 
			 Lancashire 4,944,399 5,460,204 5,291,053 5,659,557 6,437,066 7,036,906 6,641,602 6,634,707 
			 Leeds 3,892,634 4,762,844 5,295,727 6,034,719 6,823,934 7,743,367 7,602,712 8,039,792 
			 Leicester City 2,822,984 3,508,481 4,185,469 4,129,997 4,043,479 4,215,139 3,783,290 3,109,136 
			 Leicestershire 1,578,061 1,600,354 1,995,500 2,170,166 2,454,884 2,823,328 3,037,455 3,096,212 
			 Lewisham 1,642,114 2,011,844 1,780,092 2,293,544 2,385,481 2,500,981 3,857,436 2,175,249 
			 Lincolnshire 2,012,195 2,874,345 3,030,179 2,657,977 3,010,301 3,420,313 3,353,315 3,510,837 
			 Liverpool 3,596,043 3,256,802 4,658,566 5,533,532 5,687,181 6,025,001 5,948,641 7,047,228 
			 Luton 1,469,433 1,889,663 1,754,591 2,105,015 2,149,417 2,741,148 2,161,833 2,156,947 
			 Manchester 3,569,118 3,552,900 4,660,746 5,179,442 5,508,524 5,290,082 5,567,480 5,503,060 
			 Medway 810,819 847,202 1,267,262 1,433,746 1,161,292 1,203,760 1,296,394 1,410,990 
			 Merthyr Tydfil 570,526 572,229 571,662 680,515 701,324 702,962 692,276 739,913 
			 Merton 590,936 817,095 1,057,893 898,285 881,457 934,209 886,309 1,176,035 
			 Mid Wales(1) 692,458 928,064 1,029,001 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Milton Keynes 892,558 1,070,290 1,375,060 1,726,552 1,647,734 1,579,211 1,701,416 1,659,347 
			 Monmouthshire and Torfaen 908,573 1,000,755 978,297 1,077,914 1,193,948 1,708,917 1,497,696 1,669,433 
			 Neath Port Talbot 1,717,158 1,836,759 2,100,221 2,396,390 2,377,723 1,632,335 1,752,176 2,049,707 
			 Newcastle-upon-Tyne 2,944,731 2,868,530 2,742,035 2,756,619 3,125,972 3,508,376 3,364,169 4,137,523 
			 Newham 2,283,071 3,152,298 3,080,685 4,677,288 4,722,505 5,039,721 3,645,334 3,377,048 
			 Newport 887,352 901,707 996,062 1,109,139 1,189,989 1,281,157 1,446,690 1,489,215 
			 Norfolk 3,342,350 2,735,378 2,985,489 3,608,496 4,580,686 5,101,614 4,582,236 4,674,631 
			 North East Lincolnshire 906,531 1,256,115 1,497,498 1,282,544 1,389,064 1,428,140 1,750,274 1,343,171 
			 North Lincolnshire 661,097 1,019,630 1,272,631 1,291,451 1,418,016 1,469,278 1,441,116 1,122,550 
			 North Somerset 473,863 751,855 770,844 928,908 821,423 1,003,921 1,168,798 1,249,366 
			 North Tyneside 849,969 936,273 856,224 947,874 1,238,810 1,241,408 1,261,226 1,552,335 
			 North Yorkshire 1,724,893 1,795,591 2,180,876 2,398,952 2,804,820 3,237,011 3,730,158 3,905,978 
			 Northamptonshire 2,163,432 2,417,859 2,742,606 3,142,496 3,597,530 3,689,589 3,796,501 4,297,855 
			 Northumberland 1,486,993 1,903,958 2,050,700 2,177,660 2,216,385 2,411,382 2,540,518 845,215 
			 Nottingham 3,456,525 2,718,681 3,313,075 3,711,685 3,222,781 3,339,332 3,545,957 3,636,565 
		
	
	
		
			 Nottinghamshire 2,263,907 2,954,971 3,350,789 3,832,363 4,582,001 4,812,163 4,836,640 5,204,425 
			 Oldham 1,280,181 1,799,307 3,023,564 3,262,142 2,928,398 2,267,623 2,376,584 1,788,778 
			 Oxfordshire 2,326,597 2,967,608 3,062,524 3,318,569 3,659,342 3,592,809 3,809,474 4,290,090 
			 Pembrokeshire 458,093 651,530 700,233 668,722 771,115 806,331 1,086,723 939,538 
			 Peterborough 1,317,207 1,488,927 1,689,587 1,940,813 2,046,465 2,227,520 2,390,099 2,032,510 
			 Plymouth 1,320,972 1,523,643 1,435,124 1,449,593 1,474,297 1,593,219 1,653,015 1,954,962 
			 Powys(1) 0 0 0 745,397 978,336 971,507 1,188,847 1,168,466 
			 Reading(2) 0 0 0 0 0 1,909,895 1,623,074 1,690,616 
			 Reading and Wokingham(2) 1,240,953 1,399,966 1,879,587 2,090,837 2,341,030 0 0 0 
			 Redbridge 1,227,229 1,645,712 2,103,262 2,199,587 2,480,592 2,460,388 2,706,075 2,974,894 
			 Rhondda Cynon Taff 1,384,092 1,440,919 1,784,925 2,105,611 2,305,705 2,702,996 2,741,169 2,752,647 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames 452,152 499,212 612,003 665,196 870,680 851,156 869,259 338,877 
			 Rochdale 1,208,237 1,353,285 1,636,247 1,801,258 1,864,568 2,386,371 2,486,454 2,292,537 
			 Rotherham 2,551,288 2,505,304 2,714,548 2,628,719 2,824,829 2,985,986 2,248,479 2,462,464 
			 Salford 1,829,800 1,420,598 1,413,541 1,596,901 1,640,647 1,789,538 1,913,546 1,996,783 
			 Sandwell 1,367,596 1,849,519 2,082,283 1,762,339 2,123,278 2,555,281 2,811,499 3,031,826 
			 Sefton 1,655,460 1,601,808 1,501,792 1,850,397 1,984,120 2,106,197 2,229,276 2,181,897 
			 Sheffield 2,760,057 2,420,161 2,330,780 3,354,652 3,650,712 4,432,846 5,392,169 6,622,108 
			 Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin 1,218,073 1,461,619 1,765,645 1,732,268 1,747,881 1,847,828 1,971,783 2,081,348 
			 Slough 1,167,021 885,938 1,026,267 1,076,269 1,051,149 1,176,369 1,274,148 1,280,039 
			 Solihull 427,226 992,969 1,198,903 1,016,208 1,101,341 1,146,068 1,304,324 1,296,632 
			 Somerset 1,991,206 2,139,635 2,368,911 2,582,543 2,862,704 3,027,060 2,773,796 2,795,027 
			 South Gloucestershire 586,960 653,971 679,639 706,532 289,386 897,256 937,148 960,943 
			 South Tees 2,404,920 2,944,877 3,085,799 3,888,737 4,495,986 4,124,894 3,358,495 3,602,911 
			 South Tyneside 1,368,527 1,676,979 1,759,694 2,087,840 2,184,346 1,878,719 1,786,760 1,823,917 
			 Southend-on-Sea 545,801 993,721 1,015,453 1,091,652 1,100,566 1,550,459 1,444,673 1,806,223 
			 Southwark 2,727,868 3,285,001 5,343,718 5,740,246 5,721,371 5,853,431 6,725,652 5,948,675 
			 St. Helens 1,015,204 1,182,957 941,448 1,461,201 1,948,534 2,121,155 1,675,255 1,963,718 
			 Staffordshire 2,938,948 3,430,925 3,311,380 3,935,814 4,351,087 4,434,492 4,858,872 5,470,113 
			 Stockport 1,408,383 1,282,254 1,130,513 1,153,425 1,435,870 1,641,510 1,879,779 1,950,675 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 1,107,556 1,159,580 1,376,779 1,890,363 1,743,708 1,681,050 1,444,528 1,516,444 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 1,876,786 2,238,764 2,419,795 2,921,493 3,079,298 3,653,493 3,341,264 3,194,566 
			 Suffolk 2,689,424 2,892,319 3,238,424 3,372,287 3,511,798 4,226,458 4,235,647 4,939,786 
			 Sunderland 3,513,107 3,628,465 3,875,338 4,288,883 4,448,678 4,993,696 4,892,468 4,741,479 
			 Surrey 1,677,729 1,983,386 2,543,641 2,861,287 3,335,160 3,547,482 3,356,117 3,831,048 
			 Sutton 543,060 701,916 719,891 999,496 1,183,768 1,347,471 1,186,617 1,049,990 
			 Swansea 1,265,577 1,343,649 1,555,971 1,996,165 2,100,759 2,294,451 2,379,422 2,746,781 
			 Swindon 818,402 858,453 817,651 820,422 924,530 1,081,585 1,217,396 1,181,003 
			 Tameside 818,856 1,224,148 1,514,169 1,396,235 1,460,927 1,574,101 1,675,810 1,818,056 
			 Thurrock 591,491 641,495 639,211 963,102 1,241,732 1,172,922 1,163,938 1,189,463 
			 Torbay 713,646 817,198 851,661 941,352 938,268 1,079,478 1,189,739 1,123,491 
			 Tower Hamlets and City of London 1,320,422 1,311,762 1,730,829 1,604,013 2,223,375 2,360,828 2,242,647 2,413,097 
			 Trafford 3,066,030 3,189,851 1,975,767 2,166,308 2,391,910 2,675,970 3,248,156 3,646,770 
			 Vale of Glamorgan 1,059,498 1,064,453 917,027 1,026,109 1,051,511 1,021,569 1,024,474 1,133,130 
			 Wakefield 1,642,856 1,806,355 1,844,814 2,357,584 2,545,090 2,903,603 3,074,355 3,048,421 
			 Walsall 1,372,383 1,419,504 1,606,345 2,033,614 1,938,386 2,043,184 2,357,927 3,509,519 
			 Waltham Forest 1,203,636 1,444,175 1,620,156 1,661,971 1,687,007 2,217,762 1,130,575 2,262,997 
			 Wandsworth 2,614,999 2,653,315 2,502,061 3,357,993 3,118,278 2,700,337 2,209,546 2,218,056 
			 Warwickshire 1,606,424 1,793,353 2,023,842 2,316,936 2,345,845 2,398,916 2,643,721 2,625,775 
			 Wessex 6,023,698 7,644,896 7,721,238 8,447,744 8,907,281 9,566,959 9,799,021 10,420,427 
			 West Berkshire 474,428 558,827 608,054 730,497 870,599 1,031,891 1,110,799 1,115,840 
		
	
	
		
			 West Sussex 435,045 2,237,952 2,335,899 2,480,116 2,731,344 2,748,652 2,488,639 2,299,534 
			 Westminster 1,384,894 1,572,860 1,859,922 1,943,149 2,061,319 2,140,079 2,627,351 1,710,807 
			 Wigan 1,482,894 1,810,641 1,780,402 2,149,493 2,254,376 2,665,715 2,697,777 2,803,899 
			 Wiltshire 1,295,264 1,717,655 1,532,167 1,565,847 1,712,928 1,852,545 1,906,581 1,961,236 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 96,195 497,849 487,678 573,540 765,364 744,057 738,847 1,221,433 
			 Wirral 2,557,528 1,994,640 2,958,499 2,741,200 2,734,795 2,760,746 3,037,584 3,159,084 
			 Wokingham(2) 0 0 0 0 0 459,978 590,190 673,877 
			 Wolverhampton 1,597,556 1,923,615 2,194,410 2,411,851 2,836,316 3,206,063 3,334,419 3,169,716 
			 Worcestershire and Herefordshire 2,410,596 2,634,099 2,692,667 3,206,332 3,423,147 3,693,033 3,814,701 3,785,052 
			 Wrexham 1,528,042 1,214,548 1,141,677 1,217,116 1,627,043 1,767,568 1,547,339 1,278,203 
			 York 718,762 754,369 748,579 745,462 1,032,389 1,115,442 1,178,668 988,671 
			 Total 252,602,591 288,349,682 313,546,056 350,939,089 375,514,610 405,276,408 410,121,095 423,314,693 
			 (1 )Mid Wales split into Ceredigion YOT and Powys YOT from April 2005. (2) Reading and Wokingham split into Reading YOT and Wokingham YOT from April 2007. Notes: 1. These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and can be subject to change over time. 2. These figures were not collected prior to 2002-03. 3. We are in the process of quality checking figures for 2010-11. They are due to be published in January 2012. 4. The data include the YJB's ring-fenced funding for Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programmes, prevention programmes, resettlement and after care services. 5. Other sources of funding such as the Single Regeneration Budget, European Funding and the Children's Fund are also included in the presented figures. 6. These figures may differ from published figures because they include the sources of funding mentioned above.

Youth Offending Teams: Manpower

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many full-time equivalent posts there were in each youth offending team in each year between 1997-98 and 2010-11.

Crispin Blunt: These figures were not collected prior to 2002-03. Details of figures from 2002-03 onwards are contained in the following table:
	
		
			 Number of full-time and pa rt-time staff in YOTs from 2005-06 to 2009- 10 
			  2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 
			  Full-time Part-time Total Full-time Part-time Total Full-time Part-time Total 
			 Barking and Dagenham 40 22 62 42 23 65 44 26 70 
			 Barnet 20 19 39 22 16 38 18 9 27 
			 Barnsley 38 26 64 39 23 62 41 22 63 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 21 2 23 22 11 33 22 8 30 
			 Bedfordshire 45 41 86 49 16 65 54 11 65 
			 Bexley 18 5 23 17 6 23 16 7 23 
			 Birmingham 245 134 379 285 137 422 286 94 380 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 36 24 60 40 18 58 36 21 57 
			 Blackpool 68 40 108 44 25 69 44 25 69 
			 Blaenau, Gwent and Caerphilly 49 2 51 34 1 35 56 2 58 
			 Bolton 51 2 53 51 2 53 44 5 49 
			 Bournemouth and Poole 25 17 42 24 15 39 24 16 40 
			 Bracknell Forest 13 5 18 11 7 18 17 5 22 
			 Bradford 87 17 104 89 18 107 83 20 103 
			 Brent 35 15 50 38 16 54 37 16 53 
			 Bridgend 23 10 33 26 7 33 28 4 32 
			 Brighton and Hove 21 11 32 27 13 40 25 12 37 
			 Bristol 67 54 121 107 80 187 111 53 164 
			 Bromley 19 13 32 20 6 26 37 2 39 
			 Buckinghamshire 39 30 69 39 23 62 47 17 64 
		
	
	
		
			 Bury 33 10 43 30 5 35 31 9 40 
			 Calderdale 47 10 57 45 14 59 40 12 52 
			 Cambridgeshire 38 2 40 44 4 48 44 8 52 
			 Camden 37 9 46 42 9 51 43 8 51 
			 Cardiff 62 9 71 63 13 76 62 14 76 
			 Carmarthenshire 20 11 31 19 15 34 23 19 42 
			 Ceredigion 12 12 24 16 14 30 13 25 38 
			 Cheshire 64 20 84 77 19 96 99 10 109 
			 Conwy and Denbighshire 23 3 26 24 11 35 26 9 35 
			 Cornwall 40 39 79 42 59 101 47 44 91 
			 Coventry 78 33 111 85 26 111 97 28 125 
			 Croydon 46 20 66 51 20 71 55 12 67 
			 Cumbria 62 7 69 59 10 69 62 14 76 
			 Darlington 26 5 31 35 9 44 31 11 42 
			 Derby 58 31 89 47 5 52 45 25 70 
			 Derbyshire 59 43 102 59 43 102 74 60 134 
			 Devon 77 23 100 84 23 107 90 22 112 
			 Doncaster 65 7 72 68 7 75 76 19 95 
			 Dorset 36 10 46 36 10 46 41 28 69 
			 Dudley 57 21 78 59 32 91 65 23 88 
			 Durham 134 12 146 131 4 135 140 3 143 
			 Ealing 29 19 48 32 15 47 41 12 53 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 22 27 49 28 22 50 26 15 41 
			 East Sussex 43 8 51 46 24 70 57 15 72 
			 Enfield 31 12 43 45 2 47 46 1 47 
			 Essex 68 12 80 95 21 116 94 1 95 
			 Flintshire 22 31 53 26 16 42 30 30 60 
			 Gateshead 53 21 74 57 16 73 54 14 68 
			 Gloucestershire 72 18 90 74 24 98 70 25 95 
			 Greenwich 32 5 37 34 11 45 41 8 49 
			 Gwynedd Mon 22 3 25 20 20 40 28 9 37 
			 Hackney 41 4 45 51 6 57 68 10 78 
			 Halton and Warrington 46 3 49 47 1 48 52 6 58 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 39 6 45 44 8 52 50 7 57 
			 Haringey 47 84 131 52 48 100 62 13 75 
			 Harrow 21 18 39 23 14 37 26 21 47 
			 Hartlepool 35 12 47 33 13 46 44 14 58 
			 Havering 23 9 32 22 25 47 26 17 43 
			 Hertfordshire 89 15 104 90 16 106 104 37 141 
			 Hillingdon 27 13 40 35 11 46 35 17 52 
			 Hounslow 30 17 47 31 25 56 32 29 61 
			 Islington 29 5 34 33 8 41 33 8 41 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 26 4 30 29 8 37 31 4 35 
			 Kent 162 35 197 162 35 197 145 41 186 
			 Kingston-upon-Hull 39 36 75 51 23 74 52 21 73 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 9 7 16 10 4 14 13 5 18 
			 Kirklees 69 16 85 72 16 88 71 22 93 
			 Knowsley 49 21 70 44 21 65 50 17 67 
			 Lambeth 51 1 52 63 1 64 61 11 72 
			 Lancashire 153 24 177 161 40 201 164 38 202 
			 Leeds 127 5 132 127 33 160 125 65 190 
			 Leicester City 81 15 96 77 21 98 58 29 87 
			 Leicestershire 68 2 70 72 7 79 89 13 102 
			 Lewisham 49 2 51 46 2 48 48 3 51 
			 Lincolnshire 70 39 109 61 30 91 75 53 128 
		
	
	
		
			 Liverpool 101 27 128 115 20 135 146 39 185 
			 Luton 38 22 60 39 15 54 39 17 56 
			 Manchester 109 6 115 113 7 120 106 6 112 
			 Medway 24 10 34 30 14 44 33 12 45 
			 Merthyr Tydfil 20 1 21 18 2 20 14 4 18 
			 Merton 19 2 21 21 2 23 22 8 30 
			 Milton Keynes 28 12 40 33 19 52 30 24 54 
			 Monmouthshire and Torfaen 26 31 57 26 32 58 27 52 79 
			 Neath Port Talbot 28 5 33 29 3 32 32 1 33 
			 Newcastle-upon-Tyne 69 33 102 70 41 111 71 62 133 
			 Newham 104 5 109 102 16 118 74 4 78 
			 Newport 29 8 37 29 5 34 32 5 37 
			 Norfolk 82 11 93 93 13 106 94 14 108 
			 North East Lincolnshire 47 24 71 34 15 49 23 11 34 
			 North Lincolnshire 22 15 37 26 19 45 34 19 53 
			 North Somerset 36 6 42 22 9 31 24 5 29 
			 North Tyneside 53 15 68 28 5 33 27 14 41 
			 North Yorkshire 57 51 108 57 49 106 66 44 110 
			 Northamptonshire 75 28 103 71 18 89 70 29 99 
			 Northumberland 46 5 51 53 25 78 46 37 83 
			 Nottingham 93 10 103 101 11 112 101 10 111 
			 Nottinghamshire 93 23 116 99 37 136 88 28 116 
			 Oldham 58 33 91 59 13 72 58 25 83 
			 Oxfordshire 87 43 130 66 41 107 72 62 134 
			 Pembrokeshire 16 9 25 15 8 23 12 13 25 
			 Peterborough 37 36 73 49 35 84 42 36 78 
			 Plymouth 34 8 42 39 10 49 42 8 50 
			 Powys 12 12 24 17 2 19 19 9 28 
			 Reading — — — — — — 27 5 32 
			 Redbridge 39 6 45 42 7 49 50 6 56 
			 Rhondda Cynon Taff 55 5 60 58 13 71 61 11 72 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames 16 20 36 12 14 26 12 12 24 
			 Rochdale 56 22 78 57 10 67 58 14 72 
			 Rotherham 43 5 48 43 5 48 44 3 47 
			 Salford 43 2 45 55 4 59 42 4 46 
			 Sandwell 37 23 60 51 21 72 59 17 76 
			 Sefton 48 29 77 48 36 84 43 58 101 
			 Sheffield 84 16 100 82 18 100 107 34 141 
			 Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin 47 13 60 39 17 56 45 12 57 
			 Slough 22 5 27 22 10 32 26 10 36 
			 Solihull 28 4 32 29 8 37 30 7 37 
			 Somerset 50 27 77 51 31 82 55 33 88 
			 South Gloucestershire 15 5 20 17 7 24 16 11 27 
			 South Tees 89 5 94 113 4 117 79 0 79 
			 South Tyneside 45 36 81 45 36 81 45 38 83 
			 Southend-on-Sea 116 11 127 40 2 42 43 1 44 
			 Southwark 91 24 115 93 21 114 111 21 132 
			 St Helens 47 23 70 47 23 70 54 22 76 
			 Staffordshire 110 10 120 126 31 157 124 33 157 
			 Stockport 42 11 53 33 0 33 43 16 59 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 27 13 40 35 14 49 38 24 62 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 64 13 77 64 21 85 71 19 90 
			 Suffolk 93 19 112 88 24 112 92 14 106 
			 Sunderland 96 50 146 95 73 168 99 93 192 
		
	
	
		
			 Surrey 80 37 117 80 33 113 86 36 122 
			 Sutton 19 2 21 21 3 24 20 7 27 
			 Swansea 52 8 60 61 17 78 63 10 73 
			 Swindon 26 8 34 29 6 35 32 9 41 
			 Tameside 32 8 40 36 4 40 39 11 50 
			 Thurrock 24 4 28 24 5 29 27 6 33 
			 Torbay 19 10 29 18 13 31 22 10 32 
			 Tower Hamlets and City of London 35 12 47 37 14 51 34 9 43 
			 Trafford 35 4 39 46 20 66 61 26 87 
			 Vale of Glamorgan 24 6 30 20 13 33 19 13 32 
			 Wakefield 53 0 53 57 0 57 58 0 58 
			 Walsall 51 3 54 51 10 61 61 30 91 
			 Waltham Forest 38 0 38 38 2 40 42 5 47 
			 Wandsworth 26 13 39 33 25 58 34 35 69 
			 Warwickshire 46 39 85 53 33 86 60 32 92 
			 Wessex 166 37 203 174 28 202 194 38 232 
			 West Berkshire 15 9 24 14 9 23 21 12 33 
			 West Sussex 64 33 97 63 44 107 69 47 116 
			 Westminster 43 2 45 48 0 48 48 0 48 
			 Wigan 55 15 70 72 10 82 80 18 98 
			 Wiltshire 43 12 55 43 15 58 47 15 62 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 9 5 14 11 6 17 10 4 14 
			 Wirral 59 13 72 62 24 86 65 21 86 
			 Wokingham — — — — — — 8 5 13 
			 Wolverhampton 52 28 80 64 4 68 61 2 63 
			 Worcestershire and Herefordshire 66 89 155 71 68 139 71 54 125 
			 Wrexham 28 9 37 32 7 39 28 16 44 
			 York 22 12 34 22 12 34 22 13 35 
			 Reading and Wokingham 29 6 35 28 4 32 — — — 
			 Total England and Wales 7,865 2,687 10,552 8,182 2,767 10,949 8,575 3,009 11,584 
		
	
	
		
			  200 8 -0 9 2009-10 
			  Full-time Part-time Total Full-time Part-time Total 
			 Barking and Dagenham 43 0 43 39 13 52 
			 Barnet 27 10 37 24 10 34 
			 Barnsley 44 24 68 42 56 98 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 23 7 30 16 16 32 
			 Bedfordshire 55 39 94 55 23 78 
			 Bexley 14 5 19 11 10 21 
			 Birmingham 256 69 325 237 125 362 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 44 10 54 44 24 68 
			 Blackpool 31 7 38 34 11 45 
			 Blaenau, Gwent and Caerphilly 57 4 61 52 3 55 
			 Bolton 46 4 50 40 6 46 
			 Bournemouth and Poole 25 13 38 26 15 41 
			 Bracknell Forest 12 8 20 11 10 21 
			 Bradford 83 20 103 111 13 124 
			 Brent 41 2 43 48 5 53 
			 Bridgend 29 17 46 28 14 42 
			 Brighton and Hove 26 17 43 22 19 41 
		
	
	
		
			 Bristol 102 42 144 74 51 125 
			 Bromley 29 10 39 39 4 43 
			 Buckinghamshire 46 19 65 42 32 74 
			 Bury 35 9 44 32 13 45 
			 Calderdale 47 9 56 41 17 58 
			 Cambridgeshire 30 23 53 19 51 70 
			 Camden 40 13 53 50 11 61 
			 Cardiff 66 15 81 67 26 93 
			 Carmarthenshire 27 16 43 24 18 42 
			 Ceredigion 18 15 33 17 13 30 
			 Cheshire 75 19 94 64 30 94 
			 Conwy and Denbighshire 27 9 36 31 7 38 
			 Cornwall 42 28 70 46 26 72 
			 Coventry 81 48 129 77 37 114 
			 Croydon 55 21 76 54 25 79 
			 Cumbria 56 17 73 53 27 80 
			 Darlington 27 10 37 23 6 29 
			 Derby 45 25 70 44 25 69 
			 Derbyshire 74 60 134 65 67 132 
			 Devon 82 24 106 63 61 124 
			 Doncaster 86 7 93 68 10 78 
			 Dorset 49 26 75 44 45 89 
			 Dudley 71 15 86 58 15 73 
			 Durham 127 12 139 109 22 131 
			 Ealing 35 9 44 34 14 48 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 27 24 51 33 20 53 
			 East Sussex 58 12 70 53 17 70 
			 Enfield 41 2 43 46 6 52 
			 Essex 89 13 102 101 16 117 
			 Flintshire 34 26 60 27 32 59 
			 Gateshead 56 12 68 52 15 67 
			 Gloucestershire 83 17 100 71 24 95 
			 Greenwich 40 9 49 35 15 50 
			 Gwynedd Mon 28 28 56 30 21 51 
			 Hackney 83 5 88 84 8 92 
			 Halton and Warrington 46 13 59 36 17 53 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 45 6 51 31 13 44 
			 Haringey 65 13 78 62 11 73 
			 Harrow 29 20 49 26 18 44 
			 Hartlepool 40 12 52 36 16 52 
			 Havering 25 16 41 23 11 34 
			 Hertfordshire 90 38 128 77 43 120 
			 Hillingdon 37 14 51 41 24 65 
			 Hounslow 34 32 66 27 34 61 
			 Islington 41 2 43 39 5 44 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 30 5 35 34 5 39 
			 Kent 138 49 187 153 58 211 
			 Kingston-upon-Hull 49 22 71 49 16 65 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 15 2 17 9 5 14 
			 Kirklees 68 18 86 80 30 110 
			 Knowsley 53 10 63 43 23 66 
			 Lambeth 65 0 65 76 2 78 
			 Lancashire 149 22 171 142 52 194 
			 Leeds 161 0 161 134 35 169 
			 Leicester City 89 28 117 87 32 119 
		
	
	
		
			 Leicestershire 93 9 102 81 45 126 
			 Lewisham 44 10 54 57 11 68 
			 Lincolnshire 79 94 173 70 46 116 
			 Liverpool 147 39 186 140 46 186 
			 Luton 43 12 55 39 19 58 
			 Manchester 91 3 94 120 7 127 
			 Medway 38 12 50 34 15 49 
			 Merthyr Tydfil 16 4 20 16 4 20 
			 Merton 23 12 35 19 15 34 
			 Milton Keynes 32 22 54 28 20 48 
			 Monmouthshire and Torfaen 29 76 105 29 37 66 
			 Neath Port Talbot 32 3 35 26 4 30 
			 Newcastle-upon-Tyne 74 34 108 73 27 100 
			 Newham 77 1 78 58 1 59 
			 Newport 36 11 47 35 17 52 
			 Norfolk 93 16 109 98 18 116 
			 North East Lincolnshire 28 4 32 35 8 43 
			 North Lincolnshire 30 17 47 25 7 32 
			 North Somerset 30 9 39 32 11 43 
			 North Tyneside 27 9 36 23 11 34 
			 North Yorkshire 75 41 116 71 49 120 
			 Northamptonshire 87 28 115 82 32 114 
			 Northumberland 47 14 61 56 6 62 
			 Nottingham 82 8 90 88 14 102 
			 Nottinghamshire 90 28 118 115 46 161 
			 Oldham 56 22 78 60 22 82 
			 Oxfordshire 73 50 123 66 58 124 
			 Pembrokeshire 20 10 30 19 9 28 
			 Peterborough 42 23 65 38 32 70 
			 Plymouth 33 10 43 29 8 37 
			 Powys 22 9 31 17 17 34 
			 Reading 21 5 26 20 7 27 
			 Redbridge 50 6 56 39 23 62 
			 Rhondda Cynon Taff 62 11 73 61 11 72 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames 11 10 21 10 8 18 
			 Rochdale 56 7 63 59 22 81 
			 Rotherham 52 0 52 41 10 51 
			 Salford 47 8 55 45 8 53 
			 Sandwell 59 29 88 62 23 85 
			 Sefton 48 20 68 42 28 70 
			 Sheffield 112 57 169 120 37 157 
			 Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin 44 11 55 51 12 63 
			 Slough 20 9 29 20 14 34 
			 Solihull 31 4 35 29 10 39 
			 Somerset 47 21 68 35 36 71 
			 South Gloucestershire 16 12 28 18 4 22 
			 South Tees 79 0 79 85 43 128 
			 South Tyneside 39 60 99 39 19 58 
			 Southend-on-Sea 43 5 48 43 6 49 
			 Southwark 100 20 120 107 3 110 
			 St Helens 44 7 51 45 29 74 
			 Staffordshire 129 25 154 112 27 139 
			 Stockport 44 18 62 46 33 79 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 33 19 52 27 20 47 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 79 4 83 68 26 94 
		
	
	
		
			 Suffolk 106 27 133 75 38 113 
			 Sunderland 100 118 218 98 89 187 
			 Surrey 84 32 116 81 49 130 
			 Sutton 22 7 29 21 10 31 
			 Swansea 68 9 77 71 8 79 
			 Swindon 29 7 36 26 12 38 
			 Tameside 39 10 49 31 14 45 
			 Thurrock 18 1 19 18 7 25 
			 Torbay 40 10 50 30 13 43 
			 Tower Hamlets and City of London 46 22 68 56 22 78 
			 Trafford 50 18 68 70 30 100 
			 Vale of Glamorgan 19 8 27 21 13 34 
			 Wakefield 57 0 57 48 8 56 
			 Walsall 49 28 77 47 14 61 
			 Waltham Forest 41 8 49 35 7 42 
			 Wandsworth 32 24 56 24 30 54 
			 Warwickshire 59 37 96 47 42 89 
			 Wessex 254 45 299 194 44 238 
			 West Berkshire 22 10 32 22 8 30 
			 West Sussex 77 53 130 71 55 126 
			 Westminster 40 4 44 39 4 43 
			 Wigan 61 18 79 62 25 87 
			 Wiltshire 49 9 58 42 20 62 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 11 5 16 12 9 21 
			 Wirral 58 21 79 54 26 80 
			 Wokingham 14 4 18 25 6 31 
			 Wolverhampton 63 11 74 62 9 71 
			 Worcestershire and Herefordshire 77 68 145 64 68 132 
			 Wrexham 36 11 47 31 13 44 
			 York 23 19 42 20 19 39 
			 Reading and Wokingham — — — — — — 
			 Total England and Wales 8,635 2,879 11,514 8,215 3,483 11,698 
			 Notes: 1. The data are presented as numbers of full-time and part-time staff, since full-time equivalent data is not collected. For all years except 2009-10, however, full-time figures include part-time strategic managers, operational managers and administration staff, since full-time and part-time figures for these categories were only collected from 2009-10. In all years, part-time figures are made up predominantly of part-time practitioners as well as sessional staff. Volunteers are excluded from the table entirely. Prior to 2005-06, analogous data were not collected. Data for 2010-11 is due to be published in the Annual Youth Justice Statistics 2010-11 in January 2012. 2. These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and can be subject to change over time.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Dangerous Dogs

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how many dangerous dog incidents have been reported to the police in England and Wales since June 2010;
	(2)  how many dangerous dog incidents were reported to police in 2010-11.

James Paice: Records of dangerous dog incidents are not held centrally as such incidents are recorded by relevant police forces.

Departmental Fines

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many transport- related fines her Department has settled on behalf of its staff in each year since 2007; and at what cost.

Richard Benyon: The Department does not expect to pay such fines; these would be the responsibility of the person who committed the offence.

Official Photographs

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many official photographs have been taken of (a) Ministers and (b) senior officials in her Department for use in Government publications since May 2010; how many staff of her Department are expected to undertake photography of the Ministerial and senior leadership team as part of their duties; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: Departmental records show that approximately 10 official photographs have been taken of Ministers and/or senior officials since May 2010. These photographs have been used for a variety of internal and external communications.
	The Department does not hold a central record of staff undertaking photography, and therefore cannot provide an accurate figure without incurring disproportionate cost.

Departmental Pay: London

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will estimate the total monetary value of London weightings and London living allowances for staff in her Department.

Richard Benyon: The total monetary value of the higher London pay scales as of 1 July 2011, is £5,264,973 (based on annual salary).
	There are also a small number of London pay allowances paid to staff, at a total monetary value of £11,400 per annum. These allowances have been abolished but remain payable to a small number of staff who retained eligibility to them on a reserved right basis.
	The Department does not pay any form of London weighting or London living allowances to members of the senior civil service.

Private Finance Initiative

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will publish the value of estimated tax receipts, calculated in accordance with the Green Book, in each public sector economic assessment of private finance initiative projects in procurement by her Department as of March 2011.

Richard Benyon: holding answer 12 September 2011
	At March 2011, there were no private finance initiatives in procurement directly by DEFRA.

Procurement

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what contracts of a monetary value of (a) between £100,000 and £500,000, (b) between £500,000 and £1 million, (c) between £1 million and £5 million, (d) between £5 million and £10 million, (e) between £10 million and £50 million, (f) between £50 million and £100 million, (g) between £100 million and £500 million, (h) between £500 million and £1 billion, (i) between £1 billion and £5 billion and (j) over £5 billion her Department and its predecessors have entered into with private suppliers in each year since 1990.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA was formed in 2001, information prior to this date can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The core Department had no central records of contract information kept until October 2009. Information in the following table for numbers of contracts prior to this date, relates to information on active contracts captured when this central recording started.
	
		
			 Core DEFRA 
			  (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j) 
			 1998 — — — — 1 — — — — — 
			 1999 — — — — — — — — — — 
			 2001 2 — — — — — — — — — 
			 2002 — — — — — — — — — — 
			 2003 — — 1 — — — — — — — 
			 2004 3 — 4 — 1 — — — l — 
			 2005 3 3 2 — — — — — — — 
			 2006 11 5 7 1 1 — — — — — 
			 2007 11 6 4 2 1 — — — — — 
			 2008 23 7 5 4 1 — — — — — 
			 2009 94 13 1 2 — — — — — l 
			 2010 53 5 6 1 — 1 — — — — 
			 2011 17 5 2 1 — — — — — —

Sick Leave

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for how many days on average her Department's staff in each pay grade were absent from work as a result of ill health in 2010-11.

Richard Benyon: The following table shows the average working days lost (AWDL) to sickness absence in 2010-11 for staff in each pay grade in DEFRA:
	
		
			 Grade AWDL 
			 AA 17.7 
			 AO 8.3 
			 EO 8.2 
			 HEO 4.7 
			 SEO 3.5 
			 Grade 7 3.6 
			 Grade 6 3.7 
			 SCS 1.4 
			 All grades 5.4

Dogs: Animal Breeding

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to ensure welfare in puppy farms.

James Paice: The Breeding and Sale of Dogs (Welfare) Act 1999, which amended and extended the provisions of the Breeding of Dogs Act 1973 and the Breeding of Dogs Act 1991, provides protection for dogs used in breeding establishments. Under this legislation, any person who keeps a breeding establishment for dogs at any premises and carries on at those premises a business of breeding dogs for sale must obtain a licence from the local authority. Those people who are not in the business of breeding dogs for sale, so called “hobby breeders”, and produce less than five litters in any period of 12 months do not need to obtain a licence.
	The local authority has the discretion whether to grant a licence and, before doing so, must satisfy itself that the animals are provided with suitable accommodation, food, water and bedding material; are adequately exercised and visited at suitable intervals; and that all reasonable precautions are taken to prevent and control the spread of diseases among dogs.
	In addition to the specific law on dog breeding, there is also the Animal Welfare Act, which places on those who own or are responsible for animals a duty to ensure their animals' welfare. This includes owners and keepers of dog breeding establishments.
	Under the Pet Animals Act 1951, local authorities must decide whether or not to grant a licence for a particular establishment to sell animals, where this is part of a business. In deciding whether to grant a licence, local authorities shall have regard to the need for securing: (a) the animals' accommodation; (b) availability of adequate food and drink; and ensuring that (c) any mammals will not be sold at too early an age; (d) that reasonable precautions are taken to prevent the spread of disease; and (e) appropriate steps are taken in case of fire. These considerations are set out in section 1(3) of the 1951 Act and are broadly similar to the sort of requirements that all owners and keepers (including pet shop owners) must follow in order to comply with the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (the “2006 Act”).
	The model standards that local authorities use to help them decide whether a pet shop should be granted a licence under the 1951 Act were recently updated.

Food: Waste

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the Waste Review, June 2011, what progress she has made towards a new responsibility deal with the hospitality and service sectors to reduce food waste.

Richard Benyon: The June 2011 Review of Waste Policy in England committed the Government to develop a new Responsibility Deal with businesses in the hospitality and food service sectors to reduce food waste and ensure that unavoidable food waste is managed sustainably.
	We are working with industry, devolved Administrations and the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) to produce this deal, which will act on both food and packaging waste.
	On 14 September 2011, we held a successful stakeholder event to gain industry views. Similar events were held in Cardiff and Edinburgh. On 22 November 2011, we circulated a discussion paper outlining the proposed targets and structure of the deal, which is available on WRAP'S website:
	www.wrap.org.uk
	We have asked for industry input by 11 January 2012. We will use this to produce the final deal, which we hope to launch in spring 2012.

Marine Conservation Zones

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she has plans to secure marine management control out to 200 nautical miles.

Richard Benyon: The UK Government exercise management of UK waters out to 200 nautical miles except where their power to do this is limited by international or European law. The European Union has exclusive competence in relation to the conservation of marine biological resources under the common fisheries policy. It has shared competence with the UK in relation to the environment (so the UK can take measures if the EU has not done so).
	In negotiations on the reform of the common fisheries policy, the UK is seeking to enable member states to manage marine resources more effectively, through better integration of fisheries management with other marine policies.

TREASURY

Banks: Finance

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has specific plans for the revenues accruing from the disposal of shares held by UK Financial Investments in Lloyds Banking Group and RBS Group.

Mark Hoban: UK Financial Investments (UKFI) is responsible for managing the Government's investments in Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and Lloyds Banking Group (LBG) on an arm's length and commercial basis; and for developing and executing a strategy for disposing of the investments in an orderly and active way.
	UKFI continues to look at the full range of alternatives for disposing of the investments.
	The Government have no specific plans for the proceeds of any disposal which may arise.

Banks: Finance

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what options are being considered for the disposal of shares held by UK Financial Investments in Lloyds Banking Group and RBS Group.

Mark Hoban: UK Financial Investments is responsible for managing the Government's investments in Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and Lloyds Banking Group (LBG) on an arm's length and commercial basis; and for developing and executing a strategy for disposing of the investments in an orderly and active way.
	UKFI continues to look at the full range of alternatives for disposing of the investments.

Boilers: Government Assistance

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what research his Department has undertaken on the effect on (a) the manufacturing industry and (b) levels of unemployment of introducing a boiler scrappage scheme.

Chloe Smith: The Energy Saving Trust published an evaluation of the boiler scrappage scheme. This is available at:
	http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/england/Publications2/Energy-efficiency/English-Boiler-Scheme-Scrappage-evaluation-report
	HM Treasury has not undertaken separate research on its economic impact.

Food Procurement

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to ensure that the same standards of animal welfare for whole eggs apply to imported liquefied eggs procured by (a) his Department and (b) public bodies for which he is responsible.

Chloe Smith: Liquefied eggs are not used by the Treasury’s catering contractor.

Food Procurement

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of food sourced by (a) his Department and (b) public bodies for which he is responsible was procured from UK food producers in the latest period for which figures are available.

Chloe Smith: For the period April 2010 to March 2011, HM Treasury's catering subcontractor sourced 71% of its food supplies from UK food producers.

Economic Growth: Northern Ireland

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, (b) the Northern Ireland Executive, (c) Northern Ireland representatives and (d) Northern Ireland trade unions on rebalancing the Northern Ireland economy.

David Gauke: The Chancellor visited Northern Ireland on 17 June 2011 and discussed the Government's consultation on rebalancing the Northern Ireland economy with members of the Northern Ireland Executive and the business community.
	Over the process of consultation on ‘Rebalancing the Northern Ireland economy', I have had a series of meetings with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Shropshire (Mr Paterson), and the Northern Ireland Executive. In addition I have chaired consultation meetings in London and Belfast which were attended by Northern Ireland business and trade union representatives, among others.

Excise Duties: Alcohol Drinks

Sarah Wollaston: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the extent of alcohol duty evasion.

Chloe Smith: Diversion of alcohol without payment of excise duty is the prevalent form of alcohol fraud. Estimates of tax losses are produced by HMRC annually for spirits and beer, the latest of which have been published in “Measuring Tax Gaps 2011”.
	This publication is available in the House of Commons Library and online at:
	www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/mtg-2011.pdf

Excise Duties: Fuels

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what fiscal steps his Department is taking to help offset the rising cost of fuel for people living in rural areas.

Chloe Smith: Given the current high cost of fuel, to support motorists and businesses, the Autumn Statement announced that the 3.02 ppl fuel duty increase that was due to take effect on 1 January 2012 will be deferred to 1 August 2012, and the inflation increase that was planned for 1 August 2012, currently expected to be worth 1.92 ppl, will be cancelled. This will mean that there will only be one RPI increase next year. This is on top of the support that was announced at Budget 2011 that included a 1 ppl cut in fuel duty and the introduction of a fair fuel stabiliser to replace the previous Government's fuel duty escalator.
	As of 1 April 2012 average pump prices could be approximately 10 ppl lower than if the Government had implemented the previous Government's fuel duty escalator in both 2011-12 and in 2012-13.
	The Government recently secured final EU clearance for the introduction of a 5 ppl rural fuel rebate pilot scheme in the Inner and Outer Hebrides, Northern Isles, islands in the Clyde and the Isles of Scilly that will come into force from 1 March 2012.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Crockart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to the hon. Member for Edinburgh West's letters of 22 April 2011, 7 June 2011, 9 August 2011, 29 August 2011, 13 September 2011 and 20 October 2011 concerning his constituents Mr and Mrs Scott and Equitable Life.

Mark Hoban: I have replied to the hon. Gentleman.

Revenue and Customs: Government Procurement Card

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 17 October 2011, Official Report, column 702W, on Revenue and Customs: Government Procurement Card, 
	(1)  what the (a) name of the supplier and (b) purpose and function was of the entry 15 May Restaurants and Bars 702.73 in 2007;
	(2)  what the (a) name of the supplier and (b) purpose and function was of the entry 17 May Restaurants and Bars 560.00 in 2007;
	(3)  what the (a) name of the supplier and (b) purpose and function was of the entry 16 July Restaurants and Bars 575.35 in 2007;
	(4)  what the (a) name of the supplier and (b) purpose and function was of the entry 5 October Restaurants and Bars 514.15 in 2007;
	(5)  what the (a) name of the supplier and (b) purpose and function was of the entry 18 December Restaurants and Bars 559.60 in 2007;
	(6)  what the (a) name of the supplier and (b) purpose and function was of the entry 12 November Restaurants and Bars 509.36 in 2008.

David Gauke: For HMRC to provide all the information requested would mean extracting the information manually, which would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold. However, from high level information held we can provide the following:
	
		
			 Posting date Merchant category group Amount (£) Response 
			 15 May 2007 Restaurant and Bars (1)702.73 (a) Bedford and Strand 
			   (1)— (b) French and UK Missing Trader Intra Community (MTIC) Co-ordination Group; reciprocal hospitality 
			     
			 17 May 2007 Restaurant and Bars 560.00 Would exceed disproportionate cost threshold—cardholder no longer in HMRC 
			     
			 16 July 2007 Restaurant and Bars (1)575.35 (a) Redacted—operationally sensitive 
			   (1)— (b) Fiscal Crime Liaison—reciprocal hospitality following a container profiling exercise in respect of smuggled cigarettes destined for UK Market 
			     
			 5 October 2007 Restaurant and Bars (1)514.15 (a) The Quilon Restaurant 
			   (1)— (b) High level delegation—international hospitality 
			     
			 18 December 2007 Restaurants and Bars (1)559.60 (a) Redacted—operationally sensitive 
			   (1)— (b) Accommodation/B&B for operational investigation team 
			     
			 12 November 2008 Restaurants and Bars (1)509.36 (a) Redacted—operationally sensitive 
			   (1)— (b) The UK hosted a meeting followed by a dinner to develop strategic engagement on the recovery of assets. International partners in attendance included senior representatives from the UAE Central Bank, the Head of Anti Money Laundering in the Dubai police, his deputy and other officers, officials from the Public Prosecutors Office in the Netherlands, together with the Dutch liaison officer, British embassy officials and senior HMRC officials. 
			 (1 )Suggests brace.

Taxation: Overseas Trade

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue his Department received from trade with countries outside the EU in each of the last five financial years.

David Gauke: Revenue from trade with countries outside the EU is remitted to HM Revenue and Customs under value added tax on imports, customs duty, and excise duties, including alcohol duty, tobacco products duty, and hydrocarbon oils duty.
	Annual receipts from import VAT since the financial year 1989-90 are published on a monthly basis in table 2 of the Value Added Tax Statistical Bulletin, which is available on the HM Revenue and Customs website:
	https://www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm?task=bullvat
	Annual receipts from customs duties since the financial year 2001-02 are published on a monthly basis in the Tax and NICs receipts: statistics table, which is available on the HM Revenue and Customs website:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/tax_receipts/menu.htm
	Information on revenue from trade with countries outside the EU is not available for excise duties including alcohol duty, tobacco products duty, and hydrocarbon oils duty.

VAT: Registration

Roger Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) VAT-registered and (b) non-VAT-registered businesses in (i) England, (ii) Wales, (iii) Scotland and (iv) Northern Ireland are (A) incorporated and (B) unincorporated. [R]

David Gauke: The estimated number of live VAT-registered traders at the end of 2008-09 that were incorporated and unincorporated, by region, is as follows:
	
		
			  Incorporated Unincorporated 
			 England 875,000 595,000 
			 Wales 35,000 50,000 
			 Scotland 70,000 65,000 
			 Northern Ireland 20,000 55,000 
		
	
	The estimated number of non-VAT-registered traders that are incorporated and unincorporated, by region in 2008-09, is as follows:
	
		
			  Incorporated Unincorporated 
			 England 420,000 1,995,000 
			 Wales 10,000 115,000 
			 Scotland 15,000 175,000 
			 Northern Ireland 5,000 70,000

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

British Virgin Islands

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he plans to visit the British Overseas Territory of British Virgin Islands.

Henry Bellingham: For security and operational reasons, we do not comment on or announce visits significantly in advance.

Food Procurement

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that the same standards of animal welfare for whole eggs apply to imported liquefied eggs procured by (a) his Department and (b) public bodies for which he is responsible.

David Lidington: The small amount of liquid egg supplied to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the UK is bought through our catering contract in accordance with Government Buying Standards and is sourced from hens from an enriched cage system.
	It would incur disproportionate cost to source this information from our network of posts and our public bodies as this information is held locally.

Food Procurement

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps (a) his Department and (b) public bodies for which he is responsible are taking to ensure that they meet the Government's buying standards for food and catering.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the UK has a contracted catering company (Compass). Compass currently meets the majority of, and is committed to meeting the remaining new, Government buying standards for food and catering. It is working with its suppliers to achieve these and is contractually required to meet any new EU or UK legislation relating to the provision of catering services.
	It would incur disproportionate costs to source this information from our network of 260 posts and our public bodies as this information is held locally.

European Union

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has sought the advice of external counsel to the lawfulness of the Government exercising a Justice and Home Affairs opt-in under the treaty on the functioning of the European Union in the absence of the citation of a Title V legal base.

David Lidington: The Government seek relevant legal advice whenever developing policy and that advice, including from external counsel, is taken into account, as appropriate, as part of the overall policy decision-making process. Legal advice obtained by Government Departments is confidential. It is not Government policy to disclose whether legal advice has been sought on individual matters or the source of such advice.

Human Trafficking

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what role the UK's overseas missions play in preventing human trafficking in source countries.

Jeremy Browne: The UK's missions, with staff from Departments across Whitehall, including the Serious Organised Crime Agency, the Department for International Development (DfID) and the UK Border Agency, implement the Government's human trafficking strategy overseas. They work with foreign Governments in source and transit countries to build their capacity to disrupt human trafficking, for example by working with investigators and prosecutors to increase prosecutions for human trafficking offences. They contribute to the UK and international efforts to combat trafficking by ensuring that UK interests are effectively represented bilaterally and in multilateral forums, including the EU and the UN. Our missions also address the root causes of human trafficking through DfID's work to alleviate poverty overseas.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Disclosure of Information

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he plans to take to ensure that important policy announcements are made to Parliament before the media.

Chris Grayling: All policy announcements made by the Department for Work and Pensions are made to Parliament in line with parliamentary procedure.

Disclosure of Information

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will instigate an inquiry into the announcement of the details on the youth contract by the media prior to the announcement of such details to Parliament.

Chris Grayling: The details of the youth contract were released by the Department for Work and Pensions via a written ministerial statement on the morning of 25 November 2011. Official Report, columns 42-44WS.
	Subsequent to this statement being tabled, the Department placed a press release on its website.
	The Department will not be instigating an inquiry into this announcement.

Disclosure of Information

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 25 November 2011, on the youth contract, if he will publish the media grid in relation to the launch of the youth contract, including the details of information provided to the media prior to the issue of the statement.

Chris Grayling: The details of the youth contract were released by the Department for Work and Pensions via a written ministerial statement on the morning of 25 November 2011, Official Report, columns 42-44WS.
	Subsequent to this statement being tabled, the Department placed a press release on its website.

Social Exclusion

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions (a) he and (b) his officials have had with the Department of Health on a co-ordinated approach towards people experiencing social exclusion due to health problems.

Maria Miller: The Social Justice Cabinet Committee, chaired by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr Duncan Smith), and composed of Ministers from across relevant Government Departments, is focused on co-ordinating policy on poverty, equality and social justice.
	The Minister of State for Public Health, my hon. Friend the Member for Guildford (Anne Milton), is a member of the Committee, and Department for Health officials sit on the Officials' Group that supports it. The Committee and Officials' Group meet on a monthly basis.

Social Exclusion

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions (a) he and (b) his officials have had with the Minister for Women and Equalities on a co-ordinated approach towards people experiencing social exclusion due to discrimination.

Maria Miller: The Social Justice Cabinet Committee, chaired by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr Duncan Smith), and composed of Ministers from across relevant Government Departments, is focused on co-ordinating policy on poverty, equality and social justice.
	The Minister for Women and Equalities, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), is a member of the Committee, and her officials sit on the Officials' Group that supports it. The Committee and Officials' Group meet on a monthly basis.

WALES

Carbon Emissions

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions she has had with energy-intensive businesses in Wales on carbon floor pricing.

Cheryl Gillan: I have had a number of meetings on this issue with businesses in Wales, including Tata Steel, Toyota and Airbus. In March I visited Tata Steel in Port Talbot with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), to hear at first hand the company's concerns about carbon floor pricing.
	It is important that we strike the right balance between reducing our carbon footprint and maintaining a competitive UK economy. I therefore welcome yesterday's announcement to provide up to £100 million over the spending review period to mitigate the impacts of the carbon floor on electricity costs to businesses that are electricity intensive and operate in internationally competitive markets from April 2013.

Carbon Emissions

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment she has made of the effect of carbon floor pricing on energy-intensive businesses in Wales.

Cheryl Gillan: Yesterday we announced support to enable energy-intensive industries to remain internationally competitive and adjust to the transition to a low carbon economy. We will provide up to £100 million over the spending review period to mitigate the impacts of the carbon floor on electricity costs to businesses that are electricity intensive and operate in internationally competitive markets from April 2013.

Legal Proceedings

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which organisations that have received funding from her Department have brought legal proceedings against her Department in the last five years; which such organisations were not successful in their actions; and whether her Department (a) applied and (b) was paid for costs in respect of such cases.

Cheryl Gillan: None.

Procurement

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which services her Department has outsourced in each of the last five years.

David Jones: None. The Wales Office does not deliver services directly to the public and obtains its corporate and support services through the Ministry of Justice.

Newport, Gwent

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many times she has visited Newport since May 2010.

Cheryl Gillan: Ministers have undertaken official engagements in Newport on seven occasions since May 2010.

Postcodes

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether her Department uses postcodes for purposes other than the postage of mail.

David Jones: No.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Shared Future

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with Ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive on a strategy for a shared future in Northern Ireland.

Hugo Swire: We welcome the commitments made in the Executive’s draft Programme for Government to finalise the Cohesion, Sharing and Integration Strategy, build a united community and improve community relations. We will continue to discuss progress in this area with Northern Ireland Ministers where appropriate.

Legacy

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his policy is on measures to deal with the legacy of the past in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Owen Paterson: The Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), and I have been meeting a range of political parties and interest groups to discuss the issue of dealing with the past. So far we have not found consensus. I intend to meet with political parties in Northern Ireland again in order to seek their views on how consensus can be found.

Fuel Poverty

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations he has received on fuel poverty in Northern Ireland.

Hugo Swire: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave earlier to the hon. Members for Stockton North (Alex Cunningham), for Blaenau Gwent (Nick Smith) and for Scunthorpe (Nic Dakin).

Short Money

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions he has had with the House of Commons Commission regarding the provision of Short money and other equivalent financial support for political parties in Northern Ireland.

Owen Paterson: I have had no discussions with the House of Commons Commission in relation to this issue.

Domestic Aviation

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with BMI and International Airlines Group, on the London Heathrow to Belfast City air route.

Owen Paterson: I met Mr Willie Walsh, the chief executive of International Airlines Group on 16 November 2011 to discuss the opportunities that Northern Ireland airports can offer airlines and the needs of Northern Ireland business and leisure passengers.

Foreign Investment in UK

Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with the US Administration on inward investment in Northern Ireland.

Owen Paterson: I have had regular discussions on inward investment with representatives of the US Administration, most recently at meetings with the State Department in October.
	The lead responsibility for attracting inward investment lies with the Northern Ireland Executive but we co-operate closely in support of their efforts.

HEALTH

Abortion

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reason abortion is not going to be left as a matter for the discretion of clinical commissioning groups.

Anne Milton: The Department's publication ‘Healthy Lives, Healthy People: Update and Way Forward’ (July 2011) stated that local authorities would be responsible for commissioning comprehensive sexual health services.

Abortion: Counselling

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on requiring the provision of pregnancy counselling by private abortion providers and their subsidiaries.

Anne Milton: All independent and private sector clinics performing abortions must be approved by the Secretary of State for Health. Approval is conditional on complying with a set of requirements, ‘Procedures for the Approval of Independent Sector Places’. The procedures state that:
	“a person trained and experienced in counselling in this field must be available to attend clinics/hospitals if required. Counselling must be offered to women who request it or who appear to need help in deciding on the management of pregnancy or who have difficulty in coping emotionally”.
	The issue of abortion counselling was discussed in Parliament on 7 September 2011, Official Report, columns 362-85, and a commitment was made that the Department would develop proposals and consult on counselling options for all women considering abortion both within the independent sector and the national health service. The consultation will look at how to develop an offer of counselling that is impartial and supportive.

Accident and Emergency Departments

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people over the age of (a) 65, (b) 75 and (c) 85 years were admitted to accident and emergency centres in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Simon Burns: Patients are not admitted to accident and emergency (A&E) centres, though they may be admitted to other hospital departments following an attendance at an A&E department. Statistics for admissions to A&E are therefore not available.
	Statistics are available for attendances at A&E departments, though not for the exact age ranges requested, and have only been published since 2007-08. The following table represents the most relevant and up-to-date statistics available:
	
		
			 A&E attendances 
			  Year 
			 Age group 2007-08 2008 -09 2009-10 
			 60 to 69 886,748 1,035,865 1,186,933 
			 70 to 79 842,406 983,427 114,954 
			 80 to 89 720,805 865,588 991,054 
			 90 to 99 185,830 214,734 256,618 
			 100+ 7,150 9,377 n/a 
			 n/a = Not available.

Brain Cancer: Health Services

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the proportion of adults with primary brain tumours who will be enrolled in randomised, controlled clinical trials as part of their therapy by 2014.

Simon Burns: No estimates are made of the future proportion of patients recruited to randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in cancer, by cancer site. In 2010-11, the equivalent of 19.8% of new incident cancer cases were recruited into studies hosted by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Cancer Research Network (NCRN), representing a fivefold increase in recruitment in the decade since the network was established. In the same year, 194 patients were recruited to RCTs in brain cancer hosted by the NCRN.

Council for Health and Regulatory Excellence: Standards

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to measure the performance and outcomes of the Council for Health and Regulatory Excellence.

Anne Milton: The Department holds quarterly accountability meetings with the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence to monitor the performance of the organisation and to ensure that the council is fulfilling its statutory functions as set out in legislation.
	In addition, the Department reviews the Council's annual reports and accounts, which are laid before Parliament. The Department also reviews the Council's annual performance review on the effectiveness of the regulators in protecting the public and promoting confidence in health professionals, which is also laid before Parliament.

Advisory Services

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has been involved in the cross-Government review of advice funding.

Paul Burstow: The Government are committed to ensuring that people continue to have access to good quality free advice in their communities and, in connection with this, will be carrying out a review of free advice services, beginning in November 2011 and ending in early 2012.
	The review, together with a new £16.8 million central Government fund to help not-for-profit free advice services in England, was announced by the Minister for Civil Society, the hon. Member for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner (Mr Hurd), on 21 November 2011.
	The cross-Government review, to be led by the Cabinet Office, will look at the funding environment for these services, likely levels of demand, and how the Government can play a positive role. Although the focus of the review will be on debt, welfare benefits, housing and employment advice, these are all determinants of health and therefore the Department is keen to be involved in the review.

Ministerial Video Recordings

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the public purse was of his message on Hospedia patient entertainment systems; and how much ministerial time was required for its preparation.

Simon Burns: There was no cost to the public purse. The filming was carried out on a constituency day.

Drugs

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  for what reasons he decided not to proceed with the earlier access to medicines scheme proposed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  for what reasons the earlier access to medicines working group was disbanded;
	(3)  what steps he is taking to increase earlier access to unlicensed medicines via (a) clinical trials and (b) named patient programmes;
	(4)  what assessment his Department has made of the efficacy of the regulatory framework for accessing unlicensed medicines.

Simon Burns: The earlier access to medicines scheme was developed by a working group established by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in 2009. The working group was disbanded in 2010 when the framework for an earlier access scheme had been agreed. A decision was taken by Ministers in early 2011 not to take the scheme forward to public consultation at that time because of other significant changes taking place within the national health service, including the introduction of the Cancer Drugs Fund in April 2011.
	The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network (CRN) makes it possible for patients and health professionals across England to participate in relevant clinical trials, including trials of unlicensed medicines. Investment by the Department of Health in the NIHR CRN has increased from £157.5 million in 2008-09 to £300.9 million in 2010-11.
	The NIHR has worked with partners to improve the cost-effectiveness of the United Kingdom as an environment for clinical trials, including through use of model agreements and costing templates. The NIHR also manages the UK Clinical Trials Gateway, an online resource providing information about trials running in the UK. Phase 2 of the Gateway was launched in March 2011, and Phase 3 will be released in 2012.
	The UK has long made use of the derogation in Article 5 (1) of European Directive 2001/83/EC, which permits member states to put in place national arrangements allowing an authorised health care professional to commission the manufacture and importation of an unlicensed medicine to meet the special needs of an individual patient under his direct personal responsibility. It is therefore possible under existing legislation for doctors and certain other prescribers in the UK to access unlicensed medicines to meet the clinical needs of individual patients. The MHRA is currently reviewing the operation of these national arrangements.

Fluoride: Hampshire

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  on what date he expects (a) Southampton city council and (b) New Forest district council to take over responsibility from the South Central strategic health authority for deciding whether fluoride should be added to drinking water in their areas;
	(2)  what his policy is on the appropriateness of the decision of the South Central strategic health authority to proceed with the fluoridation of drinking water in (a) Southampton and (b) part of the New Forest East constituency whilst (i) Southampton city council and (ii) New Forest district council remain opposed to it.

Anne Milton: South Central strategic health authority (SHA) has complied with the current legislation, which was in force in 2008 when the SHA conducted the consultation on the fluoridation scheme. Under regulation 5 of the Water Fluoridation (Consultation) (England) Regulations 2005, SHAs have to determine the outcome of a consultation “having regard to the extent of support for the proposal and the cogency of the arguments advanced ...”.
	The Health and Social Care Bill currently before Parliament provides for responsibility for consultations on fluoridation to transfer to local authorities. The Bill includes powers to make new regulations which will include the criteria which local authorities should apply in determining when consultations on the continuance of existing fluoridation schemes should be conducted. We will be consulting on the content of these regulations before they are laid before Parliament.

Hospital Beds

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the reasons for delayed hospital discharge.

Paul Burstow: The information shown in the following table provides an assessment of the reasons for delayed hospital discharge. Based on the latest information, about 61% of delayed transfers in October are attributable to the national health service and 32% to social care, with the remaining 7% being attributable to both in October 2011.
	No one should be made to stay in hospital longer than necessary. The NHS and social care must work together to ensure people have the support they need on leaving hospital. The new Clinical Commissioning Groups will bring together general practitioners, specialist doctors and nurses to shape the best joined-up local care for patients, helping to avoid unnecessary delays.
	The Department has allocated additional funding to help people return to their homes after a spell in hospital—by 2012-13 this will be £300 million per year. This money will help people to leave hospital more quickly and get settled back at home with the support they need.
	
		
			 Delayed transfers of care (DTOC) by reason, England—England level data 
			   Number of patients with a DTOC at midnight on the last Thursday of the month Number of delayed days during the reporting period 
			 Type of care Reason for Delay NHS Social care Both NHS Social care Both 
			 Acute — 1,712 478 152 46,837 13,223 4,249 
			 Non-acute — 908 811 135 26,009 24,376 3,970 
			         
			 Acute (A) Awaiting completion of assessment 252 108 87 7,277 2,807 2,574 
			  (B) Awaiting public funding 68 26 5 1,602 925 238 
			  (C) Awaiting further non-acute (including PCT and mental health) NHS care (including intermediate care, rehabilitation services etc.) 650 n/a n/a 18,513 n/a n/a 
			  (Dii) Awaiting nursing home placement or availability 134 87 13 3,282 2,638 338 
		
	
	
		
			  (Di) Awaiting residential home placement or availability 65 86 n/a 1,823 2,612 n/a 
			  (E) Awaiting care package in own home 59 149 41 1,696 3,597 885 
			  (F) Awaiting community equipment and adaptations 72 8 6 1,657 164 214 
			  (G) Patient or family choice 343 11 n/a 9,112 375 n/a 
			  (H) Disputes 38 3 n/a 1,038 105 n/a 
			  (I) Housing–patients not covered by NHS and Community Care Act 31 n/a n/a 837 n/a n/a 
			         
			 Non-acute (A) Awaiting completion of assessment 126 144 38 3,392 3,673 1,141 
			  (B) Awaiting public funding 30 84 26 854 2,689 835 
			  (C) Awaiting further non-acute (including PCT and mental health) NHS care (including intermediate care, rehabilitation services etc.) 125 n/a n/a 3,725 n/a n/a 
			  (Dii) Awaiting nursing home placement or availability 87 126 32 2,651 3,844 843 
			  (Di) Awaiting residential home placement or availability 92 229 n/a 2,851 6,667 n/a 
			  (E) Awaiting care package in own home 33 151 28 945 5,118 960 
			  (F) Awaiting community equipment and adaptations 30 12 11 929 534 191 
			  (G) Patient or family choice 224 49 n/a 5,841 1,406 NA 
			  (H) Disputes 32 16 n/a 947 445 n/a 
			  (I) Housing–patients not covered by NHS and Community Care Act 129 n/a n/a 3,874 n/a n/a 
		
	
	
		
			 Type of care Reason for delay Number of patients with a DTOC at midnight on the last Thursday of the month Number of delayed days during the reporting period 
			 Acute — 2,342 64,309 
			 Non-acute — 1,854 54,355 
			 Total — 4,196 118,664 
			 Notes: Summary: Delayed transfers of care (DTOC) by who the delay is attributable to (NHS, social care or both) and by the reasons for the delay. Period: October 2011. Source: Unify2 data collection—MSitDT.

Mental Health Services

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many adult mental health diversion schemes there are in each police authority area.

Paul Burstow: This information is not currently collected by the Department. The National Liaison and Diversion Programme is currently working with its regional partners to conduct a mapping exercise to identify the coverage and extent of service provision throughout England.

Multiple Sclerosis: Health Services

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department plans to respond to the National Audit of Services for People with Multiple Sclerosis 2011; and what plans he has to improve (a) diagnosis and (b) access to specialised services and treatment.

Paul Burstow: Responsibility for commissioning, and providing services, to meet the needs of people living with multiple sclerosis (MS) lies with primary care trusts.
	The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has published a clinical guideline for MS. The guideline provides comprehensive evidence-based information on the benefits and limitations of the various methods of diagnosing, treating and caring for people with MS. This helps health professionals and patients decide on the most appropriate treatment.
	Subject to the passage of the Health and Social Care Bill, the NHS Commissioning Board will handle the future commissioning of specialised services. This will ensure consistency in planning and funding of specialised services for the benefit of patients with rare conditions.

NHS: Finance

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the answer of 14 November 2011, Official Report, column 602W, on clinical commissioning groups, which primary care trusts forecast an aggregate surplus; and what the surplus is for each such trust.

Simon Burns: At quarter 1 of 2011-12, there were 148 primary care trusts forecasting an aggregate surplus between them of £517 million. The breakdown of this forecast surplus is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Primary care trust 2011-12 quarter 1 forecast surplus (£000) 
			 Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT 2,726 
			 Barking and Dagenham PCT 2,200 
			 Barnsley PCT 3,000 
			 Bassetlaw PCT 1,700 
			 Bath and North East Somerset PCT 2,685 
			 Bedfordshire PCT 500 
			 Berkshire East PCT 200 
			 Berkshire West PCT 1,566 
			 Bexley NHS Care Trust PCT 2,245 
			 Birmingham East and North PCT 0 
			 Blackburn with Darwen Teaching Care Trust Plus PCT 1,372 
			 Blackpool PCT 1,399 
			 Bolton PCT 1,000 
			 Bournemouth and Poole Teaching PCT 5,356 
			 Bradford and Airedale Teaching PCT 8,300 
			 Brent Teaching PCT 11,602 
			 Brighton and Hove City Teaching PCT 4,615 
			 Bristol PCT 3,955 
			 Bromley PCT 5,993 
			 Buckinghamshire PCT 100 
			 Bury PCT 251 
			 Calderdale PCT 3,600 
			 Cambridgeshire PCT 0 
			 Camden PCT 22,804 
			 Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT 3,444 
			 Central Lancashire PCT 3,653 
			 City and Hackney Teaching PCT 7,117 
			 Cornwall and Isles Of Scilly PCT 8,562 
			 County Durham PCT 1,000 
			 Coventry Teaching PCT 5,800 
			 Croydon PCT 8,301 
			 Cumbria Teaching PCT 4,146 
			 Darlington PCT 300 
			 Derby City PCT 2,974 
			 Derbyshire County PCT 8,000 
			 Devon PCT 3,500 
			 Doncaster PCT 2,700 
			 Dorset PCT 6,133 
			 Dudley PCT 1,000 
		
	
	
		
			 Ealing PCT 6,105 
			 East Lancashire Teaching PCT 3,324 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire PCT 5,200 
			 East Sussex Downs and Weald PCT 5,480 
			 Eastern and Coastal Kent PCT 9,000 
			 Gateshead PCT 500 
			 Gloucestershire PCT 8,685 
			 Great Yarmouth and Waveney PCT 1,000 
			 Greenwich Teaching PCT 4,612 
			 Halton and St Helens PCT 500 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT 5,421 
			 Hampshire PCT 0 
			 Harrow PCT 0 
			 Hartlepool PCT 100 
			 Hastings and Rother PCT 3,353 
			 Havering PCT 0 
			 Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT 5,000 
			 Herefordshire PCT 250 
			 Hertfordshire PCT 0 
			 Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT 2,000 
			 Hillingdon PCT 0 
			 Hounslow PCT 4,110 
			 Hull Teaching PCT 3,200 
			 Isle of Wight NHS PCT 2,461 
			 Islington PCT 18,652 
			 Kensington and Chelsea PCT 5,527 
			 Kingston PCT 3,959 
			 Kirklees PCT 8,300 
			 Knowsley PCT 1,619 
			 Lambeth PCT 6,605 
			 Leeds PCT 25,200 
			 Leicester City PCT 3,640 
			 Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT 6,223 
			 Lewisham PCT 5,375 
			 Lincolnshire Teaching PCT 9,543 
			 Liverpool PCT 9,217 
			 Luton Teaching PCT 0 
			 Manchester PCT 1,000 
			 Medway PCT 4,495 
			 Mid Essex PCT 1,000 
			 Middlesbrough PCT 600 
			 Milton Keynes PCT 100 
			 Newcastle PCT 250 
			 Newham PCT 9,738 
			 Norfolk PCT 1,000 
			 North East Essex PCT 1,000 
			 North East Lincolnshire Care Trust Plus PCT 1,800 
			 North Lancashire Teaching PCT 2,200 
			 North Lincolnshire PCT 2,000 
			 North Somerset PCT 1,063 
			 North Staffordshire PCT 250 
			 North Tyneside PCT 500 
			 North Yorkshire and York PCT 0 
			 Northamptonshire Teaching PCT 7,017 
		
	
	
		
			 Northumberland Care PCT 250 
			 Nottingham City PCT 3,400 
			 Nottinghamshire County Teaching PCT 3,333 
			 Oldham PCT 2,015 
			 Oxfordshire PCT 2,184 
			 Peterborough PCT 0 
			 Plymouth Teaching PCT 2,165 
			 Portsmouth City Teaching PCT 1,656 
			 Redbridge PCT 2,000 
			 Redcar and Cleveland PCT 150 
			 Richmond and Twickenham PCT 4,199 
			 Rotherham PCT 2,200 
			 Salford PCT 2,260 
			 Sandwell PCT 1,000 
			 Sefton PCT 2,548 
			 Sheffield PCT 500 
			 Shropshire County PCT 1,000 
			 Solihull PCT 0 
			 Somerset PCT 7,965 
			 South Birmingham PCT 1,000 
			 South East Essex PCT 850 
			 South Gloucestershire PCT 1,397 
			 South Staffordshire PCT 750 
			 South Tyneside PCT 200 
			 South West Essex PCT 0 
			 Southampton City PCT 1,943 
			 Southwark PCT 5,857 
			 Stockport PCT 667 
			 Stockton-on-Tees Teaching PCT 400 
			 Stoke on Trent PCT 2,000 
			 Suffolk PCT 6,100 
			 Sunderland Teaching PCT 300 
			 Surrey PCT 1,000 
		
	
	
		
			 Sutton and Merton PCT 3,240 
			 Swindon PCT 2,945 
			 Tameside and Glossop PCT 1,000 
			 Telford and Wrekin PCT 1,000 
			 Torbay Care PCT 2,494 
			 Tower Hamlets PCT 8,000 
			 Trafford PCT 1,800 
			 Wakefield District PCT 3,100 
			 Walsall Teaching PCT 729 
			 Waltham Forest PCT 0 
			 Wandsworth PCT 12,322 
			 Warrington PCT 1,543 
			 Warwickshire PCT 200 
			 West Essex PCT 400 
			 West Kent PCT 1,000 
			 West Sussex PCT 12,800 
			 Western Cheshire PCT 1,975 
			 Westminster PCT 12,577 
			 Wiltshire PCT 6,460 
			 Wirral PCT 2,000 
			 Wolverhampton City PCT 15,008 
			 Worcestershire PCT 3,000 
			 Total 516,855

NHS: Manpower

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) nurses, (b) doctors, (c) other clinical staff and (d) managers were employed by the NHS in each of the last 10 years.

Simon Burns: The number of qualified nurses, doctors, other professionally qualified clinical staff and managers employed by the national health service in England in each of the last 10 years are shown in the following table:
	
		
			 England at 30 September 
			 Full-time equivalents 
			  2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 
			 All doctors 90,638 92,910 97,415 102,344 109,483 114,470 119,359 121,264 125,629 132,683 132,879 
			             
			 Total qualified nursing staff 266,987 277,334 291,285 304,892 315,440 321,537 322,062 322,182 329,372 336,007 335,357 
			             
			 Other clinical staff 103,736 107,340 113,375 118,267 125,172 130,632 130,216 133,642 138,948 145,545 148,997 
			 Of which:            
			 Total qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff(1) 89,632 93,085 98,397 102,912 108,585 113,214 114,492 117,107 122,059 128,331 131,311 
			 Of which:            
		
	
	
		
			 Qualified Allied Health Professions 44,594 46,284 48,151 50,478 53,311 55,133 55,711 57,065 59,455 61,865 62,801 
			 Other qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff 45,038 46,801 50,245 52,434 55,274 58,082 58,782 60,042 62,603 66,466 68,510 
			 Qualified ambulance staff(1) 14,104 14,255 14,978 15,355 16,587 17,417 15,723 16,535 16,889 17,214 17,686 
			             
			 Managers and senior managers 24,253 26,285 30,914 33,810 36,007 37,549 35,041 34,955 37,937 42,509 40,094 
			 (1) In 2006 ambulance staff were collected under new, more detailed, occupation codes. As a result, qualified totals and support to ambulance staff totals are not directly comparable with previous years. Source: The NHS Information Centre.

NHS: Private Patients

Simon Reevell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether permitting the use of private patient financial payments towards the cost of NHS medical device treatments whilst undergoing NHS medical care would require primary legislation; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what legal advice he has received on whether patients wishing to privately purchase non-NHS funded medical device treatments are permitted to continue their treatment under the NHS; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  whether he has considered issuing new NHS legal guidance on whether patients wishing to privately purchase non-NHS funded medical device treatments are permitted to continue their treatment under the NHS.

Simon Burns: The National Health Service Act 2006 makes clear that NHS services must be provided free of charge except where charges are provided for in legislation. There are powers to introduce charges through regulations, but the Government have committed not to introduce any new charges this Parliament.
	The legislation relating to charging in the NHS was made clear in Professor Sir Mike Richards’ report ‘Improving access to medicines for NHS patients’ which was commissioned by the previous Administration and published in November 2008 following a period of public consultation. The report can be found at the Department's website:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_089927
	In response to the consultation, and to clarify current legislation, the Departments revised ‘Guidance on NHS patients who wish to pay for additional private care’, which was published in March 2009, gave several case studies on how this could work in practice, covering drug interventions, as well as non-drug interventions. This guidance establishes that, where a patient opts to pay for private care, their entitlement to NHS services remains and may not be withdrawn. This includes the principle that privately-funded and NHS-funded care should be kept as clearly separate as possible, to ensure that NHS funding is not used to subsidise private care and that NHS patients are not charged for their treatment, which would breach NHS principles and legislation. The guidance also recognises that in exceptional cases there may be overriding concerns of patient safety that mean private and NHS care cannot be provided separately. The guidance can be found at the Department's website:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Lettersandcirculars/DH_096427
	Copies of both documents have already been placed in the Library.
	This Government have decided to maintain the position recommended by Professor Sir Mike Richards, and we have no current plans to review the existing guidance on how the NHS is allowed to provide private care.

NHS: Procurement

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to ensure that commissioners are aware of their legal obligation to fund treatments recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The National Health Service Constitution sets out patients' right to drugs and treatments which have been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and which their doctors consider are appropriate for them.
	This right is underpinned by a statutory funding direction that requires NHS organisations to fund health care interventions recommended in NICE technology appraisals within three months of publication of final guidance.

NHS: Telephone Services

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the number of instances where NHS hospitals have charged patients more than the equivalent cost of calling a geographical number since 21 December 2010.

Simon Burns: The Department has made no estimate of the number of instances where NHS hospitals have charged patients more than the equivalent cost of calling a geographical number since 21 December 2010.
	The Department issued guidance and Directions to national health service bodies in December 2009 on the cost of telephone calls, which prohibit the use of telephone numbers which charge the patient more than the equivalent cost of calling a geographical number to contact the national health service. It is currently the responsibility of primary care trusts to ensure that local practices are compliant with the Directions and guidance.

Sex: Health Services

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations his Department has received on the development of documentation on his Department's sexual health policy and the contraceptive needs of all women; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: The Department has received a number of representations about the sexual health policy document. The document will take a life course approach and will consider the sexual health needs, including contraception needs, of all people and particularly those who are most vulnerable. The document will be published in spring 2012.

Social Services: Finance

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the likely extent of (a) over and (b) under-spending in community services providers for each primary care trust area in England for 2011-12.

Simon Burns: At quarter one of 2011-12, all care national health service trusts were forecasting a surplus.
	The aggregate forecast surplus for all care NHS trusts, at quarter one of 2011-12, was £22 million.
	The breakdown of the forecast surplus for all the care NHS trusts is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  £000 
			 Care NHS trust 2011-12 Quarter 1 forecast surplus/(operating deficit) 
			 Ashton, Leigh and Wigan Community Healthcare NHS Trust 1,666 
			 Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Trust 2,500 
			 Cambridgeshire Community, Services NHS Trust 668 
			 Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust 2,775 
			 Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust 23 
		
	
	
		
			 Kent Community NHS Trust 1,306 
			 Liverpool Community Health NHS Trust 3,451 
			 Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust 1,000 
			 Sussex Community NHS Trust 1,889 
			 The Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Trust 1,140 
			 The Hounslow and Richmond Community Healthcare NHS Trust 1,639 
			 The Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust 683 
			 The Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust 1,071 
			 The Solent NHS Trust 1,860 
			 The Wirral Community NHS Trust 704 
			 Total 22,375

HOME DEPARTMENT

Alcoholic Drinks: Crime

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information her Department holds on levels of alcohol-related crime in East Lancashire for each of the last three years.

James Brokenshire: From the police recorded crime statistics collected by the Home Office it is not possible to determine the number of offences which were alcohol-related.
	The British Crime Survey (BCS) has information on alcohol-related violence at a national level. However, the sample size of the BCS is not large enough to provide robust estimates for these types of crimes in East Lancashire.

Animal Experiments

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 8 November 2011, Official Report, columns 166-8W, on animal experiments, how much time the Animals in Science Regulation Unit Inspectorate devoted (a) in total and (b) per full-time equivalent inspector to providing advice on (i) preliminary project licence applications, (ii) project licence applications and (iii) project licence amendments.

Lynne Featherstone: We do not record the information requested, only the number of formal licence applications. Typically inspectors devote about one third of their time to project licence applications, both advising applicants and assessing applications in order to advise the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right Friend the hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May).

Animal Experiments

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 8 November 2011, Official Report, columns 166-68W, on animal experiments, how many preliminary project licence applications were not proceeded with directly due to Animals in Science Regulation Unit Inspectorate advice that a formal application would be refused and could not be amended to allow approval in (a) 2008, (b) 2009 and (c) 2010.

Lynne Featherstone: We do not record the information requested, only the number of formal licence applications. Typically, an inspector will meet with an applicant at an early stage in the preparation of their application. If it is clear at that stage, or any subsequent stage, that an application does not fulfil the requirements of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 then the Animals in Science Regulation Unit Inspectorate will advise the applicant. Applicants can ask for a second opinion and this is always provided. They normally either withdraw their application on the basis of this advice, or significantly amend it to make it more acceptable.
	On very rare occasions they may decide to press on with their application in spite of the advice of inspectors, in which case they may appeal under Section 12 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 once the Secretary of State for the Home Department, the right hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), has informed them of her intention to not authorise the application.

Animal Experiments

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 8 November 2011, Official Report, columns 166-68W, on animal experiments, how many preliminary project licence applications (a) in total and (b) per full-time equivalent inspector, the Animals in Science Regulation Unit Inspectorate provided initial advice on in (i) 2008, (ii) 2009 and (iii) 2010.

Lynne Featherstone: We do not record the information requested, only the number of formal licence applications. Numbers of formal project licence applications assessed by inspectors (a) in total and (b) per full-time inspector are as follows:
	(i) 2008: 695; 31.03
	(ii) 2009: 541; 23.99
	(iii) 2010: 515; 23.33.

Crime: Retail Trade

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the expected cost of retail crime to (a) businesses, (b) local authorities and (c) the police has been in each of the last five years.

James Brokenshire: There are currently no year-on-year estimates of the costs of retail crime to businesses, local authorities or the police.
	The Home Office published estimates of the costs of crime against retail and manufacturing premises for 1994 and for 2002-03 in:
	http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs2/hors146.pdf
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/rdsolr3705.pdf
	In addition, the Retail Crime Survey, compiled annually by the British Retail Consortium, estimates the overall cost of retail crime to retailers but does not address costs to other parties. Results for 2010 are available at:
	http://www.brc.org.uk/brc_show_document.asp?id=4189&moid=7233

Criminal Records: Databases

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times UK authorities have accessed the European Criminal Records Information System in each year since its inception; and if she will make a statement.

Lynne Featherstone: holding answer 22 November 2011
	UK authorities cannot access the European Criminal Records Information System (ECRIS) because it has not yet been implemented. When implemented ECRIS will not be a database of the criminal records of EU nationals but will instead be a secure, standardised and computerised exchange system which allows individual member states to exchange criminal conviction information in a uniform, electronic and easily computer translatable way.
	ECRIS is due to be implemented by all member states in April 2012.

Organised Crime: Coventry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment her Department has made of the level of gang activity in Coventry.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 9 November 2011
	The Home Secretary has not made an assessment of the level of gang activity in Coventry. This is an operational matter for the West Midlands police and other local partners. The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) is currently conducting an exercise to map gangs and gang violence in selected forces across the country to provide for the first time a national picture based on a single definition and approach.

Communications: Improper Use

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions have taken place following complaints made by the recipients of unwelcome, nuisance or obscene telephone calls and text messages in each of the last five years.

Crispin Blunt: I have been asked to reply.
	The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for offences involving “Improper use of electronic communications network” under section 127 of the Communications Act 2003, in England and Wales, from 2006 to 2010 (latest available) can be viewed in the following table.
	The Ministry of Justice court proceedings database holds information on offences provided by the statutes under which proceedings are brought but not all the circumstances of each case. It is therefore not possible to identify from these centrally held data whether a prosecution has been made following a complaint from a recipient of unwelcome telephone calls or text messages.
	Court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in the spring of 2012.
	
		
			 Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for offences under the Communications Act 2003, England and Wales, 2006-10 (1,2) 
			   2006 2007 2008 (3) 2009 2010 
			 Communications Act 2003, s.127 Sending or causing sending of grossly offensive/indecent/obscene/menacing or false message/matter by electronic communications network 550 680 872 1,126 1,511 
			 (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice

Theft

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) male and (b) female victims there were in each age group and of each ethnicity for recorded offences involving theft from the person in England and Wales in the last 10 years.

James Brokenshire: The information requested is not available centrally. The recorded crime figures returned to the Home Office are based on whole counts of offences. From these it is not possible to identify the age, sex or ethnicity of victims of “theft from the person”.

Theft: Churches

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of theft or vandalism relating to churches were reported to the police in the last year for which figures are available.

James Brokenshire: The information requested is not collected centrally. It is not possible to identify offences relating to churches from the police recorded crime statistics collected by the Home Office.

Metal Theft

Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse from metal theft over the last 12 months.

James Brokenshire: Information on the extent of metal theft and its costs are not collated centrally. The most recent studies estimate the cost of metal theft to the UK at between £220 million and £260 million per year (Deloitte, 2011) and £777 million (Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) in 2010.

Metal Theft

Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions (a) she and (b) Ministers in her Department have had with Ministers from (i) the Department for Transport and (ii) the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on metal theft since May 2010.

James Brokenshire: Home Office Ministers have had a number of discussions with Ministers from other Departments to consider what approach should be taken to tackle metal theft, including the Department for Transport and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Metal Theft

Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which Ministers in her Department have received oral briefings from the National Metal Theft Crime Unit; and when such briefings were given.

James Brokenshire: Home Office Ministers have not received any briefings from the disbanded National Metal Theft Crime Unit. They have received numerous briefings from the Association of Chief Police Officers and the British Transport Police, which jointly operated the unit.

Metal Theft

Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with HM Revenue and Customs on metal theft.

James Brokenshire: Home Office Ministers have had discussions with Ministers from other Government Departments to consider a range of options to tackle metal theft, including HM Treasury. Discussions have also been held between Home Office and HM Revenue and Customs officials on this topic.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) letters and (b) emails he has received on the number of helicopters deployed in Afghanistan in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Nick Harvey: For the period 1 November 2010 to 31 October 2011, three letters from hon. Members on behalf of their constituents and three letters from members of the public about helicopter numbers were received. In addition, two letters from hon. Members were received raising general concerns their constituents had about equipment provision, the replies to which included reference to the increases to in-theatre helicopter provision that have been made.

Armed Forces: Cadets

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the financial support available to (a) sea cadets, (b) army cadets, (c) air cadets and (d) combined cadet forces.

Andrew Robathan: The cadet forces sponsored by the Ministry of Defence make a unique contribution to national life. We are committed to provide support to our sponsored cadet forces, and it was announced as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review that the cadet forces are to be sustained. The youth engagement review was tasked with determining the Defence requirement to engage with young people and how it can most cost-effectively be delivered. The review is due to provide its final recommendations shortly.

Armed Forces: Cadets

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will consider providing further support to sea cadets by offering them insurance provided as part of his Department's central provision.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence self insures its core business activities and bears the risk of any common law compensation claims arising for loss or injury resulting from negligence on the part of the sponsored cadet forces.
	While undertaking authorised cadet activities, the cadets and cadet force adult volunteers are covered by the Ministry of Defence's self-insurance arrangements.

Armed Forces: Education

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average level of academic qualification attainment is of recruits (a) enlisting at and (b) graduating from the (i) Army Foundation College Harrogate and (ii) Army Technical Foundation College Winchester.

Nick Harvey: The information is not available in the format requested.
	Recruits at entry to the Army Foundation College Harrogate (AFC(H)) and the Army Technical College Winchester (ATFC(W)) hold a range of academic qualifications, depending on their chosen trade, with the majority holding at least one GCSE (or equivalent) on enlistment. The Army also requires all candidates to undertake the Basic Skills Initial Assessment (BSA) on initial application to the AFC(H) and the ATFC(W) in order to establish their level of literacy and numeracy. Candidates must also pass the English speaking and listening test at Level 1 or above.
	All recruits training at the AFC(H) undertake vocational qualifications. All soldiers are enrolled on a Level 2 Apprenticeship for IT Users which consists of the Level 2 iTQ Diploma for IT Users along with Functional Skills (FS) in literacy and numeracy at Level 1. All those who achieve Level 1 FS in literacy and numeracy during the programme have the additional opportunity to achieve those skills at Level 2.
	All recruits at the ATFC(W) undertake functional skills in either numeracy or literacy, along with basic military training, to provide the academic foundation they will require in order to succeed at their chosen trades in phase 2 training.

Armed Forces: Education

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the minimum academic educational requirement is for recruits to pass out of phase one training at the (a) Army Foundation College Harrogate and (b) Army Technical Foundation College Winchester.

Nick Harvey: The educational requirement that recruits at the Army Foundation College Harrogate and the Army Technical Foundation College Winchester must attain in order to pass out of Phase 1 training is Level 1 in literacy and numeracy, at least at GCSE Grade G.

Armed Forces: Education

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what nationally recognised (a) GCSE, (b) AS-level, (c) A-level, (d) BTEC, (e) HNC, (f) HND and (g) NVQ qualifications were studied by recruits at the Army Technical Foundation College Winchester; and how many recruits achieved each such qualification in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Harvey: Recruits at the Army Technical Foundation College Winchester (ATFC(W)) do not undertake GCSE, AS-Level, A-Level, BTEC, HNC, HND or NVQ qualifications.
	The purpose of phase 1 education at the ATFC(W) is to set in place the academic foundation that the recruits will require in order to succeed at their chosen apprenticeships in phase 2.
	The nationally recognised qualification that is studied and attained by recruits at the ATFC(W) is in functional skills in either numeracy or literacy. The number of recruits who passed the numeracy and literacy tests since September 2008 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of recruits passed numeracy test Number of recruits passed literacy test 
			 September 2008 to March 2009 119 113 
			 March 2009 to September 2009 296 306 
			 September 2009 to March 2010 298 298 
			 March 2010 to September 2010 105 121 
			 March 2011 to October 2011 37 44

Armed Forces: Education

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what nationally recognised NVQ qualifications were studied by recruits at the Army Foundation College Harrogate; and how many recruits achieved each such qualification in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Harvey: All recruits training at the Army Foundation College Harrogate undertake vocational qualifications. All soldiers are enrolled on a Level 2 Apprenticeship for IT Users which consists of the Level 2 iTQ Diploma for IT Users along with Functional Skills (FS) in literacy and numeracy at Level 1. All those who achieve Level 1 FS in literacy and numeracy during the programme have the additional opportunity to achieve those skills at Level 2.
	The number of junior soldiers achieving each qualification graduating from the last five intakes on the following dates are as follows:
	
		
			 Qualification August 2009 December 2009 August 2010 December 2010 August 2011 
			 Apprenticeship framework      
			 IT User L2 NVQ (iTQ) 703 394 639 330 536 
			 Literacy Level 1 700 394 639 329 521 
			 Numeracy Level 1 701 393 639 330 456 
			 All parts of the apprenticeship achieved 700 393 639 329 456 
			       
			 Key Skills Level 2      
			 Literacy Level 2 608 339 563 279 281 
			 Numeracy Level 2 584 326 558 288 262

Armed Forces: Recruitment

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average cost was of recruitment per recruit for the (a) Royal Air Force, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Army in 2009-10; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: I refer the hon. Lady to the answer I gave on 1 November 2011, Official Report, columns 549-50W. The Ministry of Defence recently undertook a project to ascertain the full cost of regular and reserve recruiting and selection in 2009-10. This showed that the cost of all recruiting activities and support to recruiting was some £232 million. This can be broken down across the services as follows:
	
		
			  Cost (£ million) Intake 2009-10 Per recruit (£000) 
			 Navy 41 4,150 10 
			 Army 139 14,180 10 
			 RAF 51 3,470 15 
		
	
	Figures have been rounded separately and so may not equal the sums of their rounded parts.
	While the figures can be used to derive an average cost per recruit, as shown above, variations in trade groups, entry requirements and the whole recruitment process combined with the many other differences between the services means there is no such thing as an ‘average' recruit or ‘average cost' per recruit. Intake figures include re-entrants and intake from the reserves as well as directly trained entrants. Depending upon service and trade group, specialist assessment may be necessary. For example, potential pilots are required to undergo a significantly longer and more rigorous medical assessment than most other applicants.

Armed Forces: Termination of Employment

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many military personnel will have been made redundant (a) compulsorily and (b) voluntarily from the (i) Army, (ii) Navy and (iii) Royal Air Force by 2015.

Andrew Robathan: I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the answers I gave on 21 November 2011, Official Report, column 29W, to the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon).

Armed Forces: Training

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people applied for a place at Sandhurst Academy in each of the last five years; and how many such people were rejected.

Nick Harvey: The following table provides the number of Army Officer applicants who were invited to attend the three and a half day Army Officer Selection Board (AOSB) and those who were successful
	
		
			 Financial year Those that having applied to join the Army  and  were invited to attend AOSB Those that were successful at AOSB 
			 2011-12 to 31 October 2011 1,527 499 
			 2010-11 1,649 822 
			 2009-10 1,861 860 
			 2008-09 1,482 816 
			 2007-08 1,068 608 
		
	
	Those who are found unsuccessful at any stage of the officer recruitment process will be given feedback on where they have not met the required standard. Those who attend AOSB and are unsuccessful are rarely rejected outright. Their application will usually remain open, should they at some point decide to re-apply.
	These figures do not include: serving regular soldiers or serving Gurkha soldiers applying to become officers, Territorial Army applicants or professionally qualified officer applicants (doctors, lawyers, etc.).

Armed Forces: Wills

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what advice his Department provides to members of the armed forces based in Scotland on the drawing up of wills; and whether family members are able to be both beneficiary and executor.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) operates a system where service personnel are given the opportunity to complete a will and store it securely, free of charge. Commanding officers are instructed to ensure that all personnel entitled to make a will are urged to do so and that time is set aside in the unit programme for completion or amendment of the will by the individual. The importance of drawing up a will is emphasised during phase one training. It is made clear where legal advice can be sought either within or outside of the services.
	The services also issue a will form (MOD form 106) with detailed instructions to facilitate the process. The form provides a simple, legal template for use by any service personnel regardless of service, rank, marital status or age. However, personnel are not obliged to use the MOD form and can make alternative private arrangements for drawing up a will. Throughout the year, service units are required to publish notices on routine orders reminding individuals of the importance of possessing an up-to-date will.
	Since March 2011, the recording and processing of will information has been enhanced on the joint personnel administration system, giving greater assurance to the accuracy of will information held. The services' will form is currently being reviewed to ensure that it remains fit for purpose.
	I can confirm that under Scottish law an individual may be both the beneficiary and executor of a family member's will.

Harrier Aircraft: Sales

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the monetary value was of the sale of the (a) Harrier squadrons to the US Government and (b) spare parts of the Harrier fleet;
	(2)  to which departmental budget the revenue arising from the sale of the (a) Harrier squadrons and (b) Harriers' spare parts will be allocated.

Peter Luff: holding answer 25 November 2011
	As I announced in the House on 24 November 2011, Official Report, columns 485-86, the value of the sale of the final 72 Harrier aircraft frames and associated spare parts, which will be used as a major source of spares to support the US Marine Corps Harrier AV-8B fleet, is $180 million (around £110 million). The sale takes the total estimated receipts and savings to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to around £1 billion.
	As agreed with HM Treasury as part of the spending review process, the revenue from the sale of Harrier assets will be retained by the MOD and reinvested by the Department in key priorities as part of the Defence budget, including the state of the art Carrier Varriant of the Joint Strike Fighter.

HMS Ark Royal

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what defence-related restrictions he plans to apply when deciding whether or not to sell the Ark Royal to the Chinese Government; what information his Department holds on the benefit derived by the Chinese navy from its reverse-engineering of a previously purchased aircraft carrier; what assessment his Department has made of the purposes to which the Chinese Government intend to put the Ark Royal if their bid for the vessel is successful; and if he will make it his policy not to sell the Ark Royal to China.

Peter Luff: holding answer 29 November 2011
	There is no intention to sell HMS Ark Royal to the Chinese or any other Government. HMS Ark Royal is being disposed of by commercial tendering to the most appropriate bidder, either for use in a non-military capacity or for recycling. Work to evaluate a number of bids is under way but no decisions have yet been made.

Maritime Zones: British Overseas Territories

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements his Department has made to patrol the maritime zones of British Overseas Territories to monitor and deter illegal activities.

Nick Harvey: The UK provides maritime assets for defence of its Overseas Territories as detailed in the following table. As part of their secondary duties, maritime assets will assist local authorities in monitoring and deterring illegal activity.
	
		
			 British Overseas Territories Maritime tasking and visits 
			 Anguilla, Montserrat, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands Atlantic Patrol Task (north) provides a rotational presence throughout the year, operating around the islands. 
			 Gibraltar Permanent presence of 2x patrol boats P2000. RN vessels visit regularly on transit to deployments east of Suez, Atlantic Patrol Task (south) and standing NATO maritime commitments. 
			 Sovereign Base Areas Akrotiri and Dhekelia RN vessels stop regularly on return from deployments East of Suez and other deployments and exercises. 
			 British Indian Ocean Territory Visits are on an opportunity basis, usually by ships deploying to the far east. 
			 British Antarctic Territory Annual deployment by ice patrol ship, with the British Antarctic Survey Team in the austral summer. 
			 Falkland Islands Permanent presence of an offshore patrol vessel and Atlantic Patrol Task (south). 
			 St Helena dependencies, Tristan da Cunha On an opportunity basis as part of Atlantic Patrol Task (south). 
			 Ascension Island Staging post for ships deploying to Atlantic Patrol Task (south). 
			 South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands The ice patrol ship routinely visits South Georgia during the austral summer. Additionally on an opportunity basis as part of Atlantic Patrol Task (south). 
			 Pitcairn Islands No routine visits; visits are on an opportunity basis.

Military Aircraft

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many fighter planes and bombers are available for use by the Royal Air Force.

Peter Luff: The number of combat aircraft in service with the RAF is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Aircraft type In-service fleet numbers Forward fleet 
			 Tornado 136 93 
			 Typhoon 83 55 
		
	
	In-service aircraft includes those undergoing planned depth maintenance but excludes those which are redundant, declared as surplus or awaiting disposal. The forward fleet comprises aircraft which are serviceable or short-term unserviceable and can be recalled at short notice.

Military Aircraft: Helicopters

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) Army, (b) RAF and (c) Navy helicopters are based in (i) the UK and (ii) Germany.

Nick Harvey: The total number of Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Navy helicopters based in the United Kingdom and Germany, as at 31 October 2011, was as follows:
	
		
			  Total 
			 UK:  
			 Army 169 
			 Royal Air Force 130 
			 Royal Navy 154 
			 Total UK 453 
			   
			 Germany:  
			 Army 8 
			 Total Germany 8 
		
	
	A proportion of these helicopters will be deployed outside of the UK and Germany on operations and exercises.
	The figures provided are for all helicopters within the Department's in-service fleet including those held at front line units, in depth maintenance and repair, undergoing modification, trials aircraft and storage. Contractor owned fleets are not shown.

Military Decorations

Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he plans to publish the review of the rules governing the awarding of medals.

Andrew Robathan: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 9 November 2011, Official Report, column 368W, to the hon. Member for Bridgend (Mrs Moon).

Navy: Pitcairn Islands

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when a Royal Navy ship last visited Pitcairn Island (a) to patrol UK waters and (b) in any other capacity.

Nick Harvey: Due to the remoteness of the Pitcairn Islands, any Royal Navy ship visiting requires the support of a dedicated Royal Fleet Auxiliary supply ship. HMS Sutherland accompanied by RFA Bayleaf visited in September 2000.

Piracy

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effects on his Department's at sea counter-piracy work of the proposed reductions in his Department's budget.

Nick Harvey: Since 2008, the Ministry of Defence has contributed to EU, NATO and Combined Maritime Forces counter-piracy operations. The proposed reductions in budget have so far had limited impact on our at sea counter-piracy work. Operation Atalanta continues to be run from Northwood under UK command, and we contribute vessels to NATO's Operation Ocean Shield and provide the Deputy Operation Commander to the US-led Combined Maritime Forces (CMF). UK officials also play a leading role within the international Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia, which seeks to deliver a coherent international response to this difficult problem.

RAF Cottesmore and Kinloss

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) Army and (b) civilian personnel will be stationed at (i) RAF Kinloss and (ii) RAF Cottesmore in each year between 2011 and 2015.

Andrew Robathan: The Army announced a package of preliminary moves on 10 November which stated that some 930 service personnel and their families would move into Kinloss from summer 2012 and some 1,070 into Cottesmore between the summer of 2012 and 2013. At this time the civilian personnel requirements are still being worked through in terms of the numbers, specialisms and grades. There will be full trade union consultation as the situation becomes clearer.
	Further work is currently ongoing into the future size and structure of the Army, and this is expected to provide the detail of the estate requirements for the remaining units returning from Germany. Until this work is complete, it is too early to say whether there will be other unit moves to these locations.

Yemen: Military Aid

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 21 November 2011, Official Report, columns 34-5W, on Yemen, what the training is which is being provided to Yemeni officers in the UK.

Nick Harvey: holding answer 29 November 2011
	Yemeni officers are currently undertaking training on courses at the following establishments within the UK:
	Royal College of Defence Studies: strategic development and training for senior officers.
	Joint Services Command and Staff College: staff training for middle ranking officers.
	Britannia Royal Naval College: Navy initial officer training.
	Royal Military Academy Sandhurst: Army initial officer training.
	Defence School of Languages: English language training.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Food Procurement

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps (a) his Department and (b) public bodies for which he is responsible are taking to ensure that they meet the Government's buying standards for food and catering.

Gregory Barker: DECC receives its catering services through a contract procured by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
	The Government Buying Standards for Food were not published at the time of the competition for DEFRA’s catering contract. However, it was made clear in the tendering specification that when established, and as amended from time to time, the successful caterer would be required to comply with the Government Buying Standards. This condition applies to the whole of the DEFRA contract and DEFRA is determined to ensure that the standards are met in full.
	In relation to those DECC non-departmental public bodies that have contracts covering catering:
	the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority's (NDA) facilities management provider is responsible for the provision of catering through a contract with an external catering company. The NDA's Facilities Management contract was procured through a Government Procurement Service framework and meets the Government buying standards; and
	60% of Coal Authority catering purchases meet the Government buying standards.

Procurement

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what procedures his Department has put in place to ensure value for money on purchases; and what savings have been realised through use of such procedures in the last year.

Gregory Barker: The Department has adopted a Procurement Code which states that the main objective of procurement is to obtain best value for money. Value for money is assessed on the basis of the whole life cost, which takes into account all aspects of cost of the contract over its duration. A key principle of the Procurement Code is that all procurement activity will be subject to the appropriate level of competition.
	DECC also adheres to Cabinet Office policy and uses Government Procurement Service frameworks to minimise the need for separate procurements, align service requirements and consolidate expenditure across Government.
	Specific savings realised through these procedures in the past year include a £250,000 per annum telephony saving.

Procurement

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which services his Department has outsourced in each of the last five years.

Gregory Barker: The Department receives some services from other Departments under shared service arrangements. Aside from these arrangements, the department has not outsourced any services since it was created in 2008.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has requested an increase in the overall cap set by the control framework for his Department's levy-funded spending since the implementation of the framework.

Gregory Barker: The Department has not requested an increase in the overall cap set by the control framework as the cap was established at the 2010 spending review and covers the entire spending review period to 2014-15. Should other policies be classified as levies by the Office for National Statistics and fall within the control framework, the Department and HM Treasury will come to an agreement on how these are to be accommodated within the framework.

Energy

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on what date he expects the annual energy statement for 2011 to be published.

Charles Hendry: The annual energy statement (AES) was published in the form of an oral statement in Parliament by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne) on 23 November 2011, Official Report, columns 299-302.
	For the full text of the AES please see:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/news/aes_2011/aes_2011.aspx

Energy: Conservation

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent representations he has received on the British Standards Institution's draft document PAS 2030.

Gregory Barker: The British Standards Institution ran a consultation on the draft PAS 2030.
	176 organisations and individuals responded, resulting in 660 detailed comments. Many of these will be reflected in a revised PAS 2030 which is due to be published at the end of January 2012.

Energy: Meters

Pat Glass: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many households in North West Durham constituency use prepayment meters to pay for their energy supplies.

Charles Hendry: Ofgem monitors and publishes information about gas and electricity prepayment customers (in its Monitoring Company Performance Quarterly Reports). The data are published for England, Scotland and Wales and not on a parliamentary constituency basis. In March 2011, the last period for which data have been published, the number of customers in England using prepayment meters was 2.3 million for gas and 3.2 million for electricity.

TRANSPORT

Departmental Press: Subscriptions

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much her Department spent on newspapers, periodicals and trade profession magazines in 2010-11.

Norman Baker: The central Department and six of its seven agencies spent £155,875 in 2010-11 on newspapers, periodicals and trade profession magazines. The Driving Standards Agency could provide the figure only at disproportionate cost.
	In 2010-11 the central Department spent £59,450 and in 2011-12, to date, £12,217.

Felixstowe Port

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will estimate the expected change in the levels of (a) road and (b) rail freight in Cambridgeshire as a result of the opening of the new deep water shipping terminal at Felixstowe.

Michael Penning: The Department does not make specific traffic estimates of this kind. However, the Department's A14 Study is looking generally at the contribution of freight to demand in the A14 corridor.
	The Harbour Revision Order (HRO, SI 2007/3219 as amended) authorising the Felixstowe works, of which the berths recently opened constitute the first phase, has an associated set of planning obligations. These, based on transport assessment associated with the HRO, require certain travel management measures and financial contributions towards infrastructure improvements, some of which will be triggered by commencement of the second phase works. The aims of these obligations include to restrain HGV demand on the A14, particularly at peak times, and to encourage rail use.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) letters and (b) emails her Department has received on High Speed 2 in the last 12 months.

Justine Greening: Approximately 3,600 letters and 6,000 e-mails have been received since November 2010.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will commission a full assessment of alternatives to the proposed High Speed 2 railway line.

Justine Greening: A full assessment of the strategic alternatives to HS2 was published alongside the recent consultation. The report is available at:
	http://highspeedrail.dft.gov.uk/library/documents/strategic-alternatives

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Construction

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when her Department plans to announce the proposed works to be undertaken in Phase 1 of the Y network for High Speed 2; how such works will facilitate any proceeding works for Phase 2; and what works will facilitate any interim arrangements.

Justine Greening: I will make an announcement on the scheme in December and, should this be to proceed, the proposed alignment to be undertaken in Phase 1 of the Y network (London to West Midlands) would accommodate the anticipated alignment of Phase 2.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Environment Protection

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she will publish an assessment of the environmental impact of the proposed High Speed 2 railway line on the countryside.

Justine Greening: The recent high-speed rail consultation was accompanied by an appraisal of sustainability which assessed the potential impact the scheme might have on the environment. Should the scheme proceed, an environmental impact assessment would be undertaken to look at issues in greater detail and allow an environmental statement to be produced and consulted on.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Finance

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when her Department will publish (a) its summary of the financial case for the proposed High Speed 2 (HS2) railway line, (b) the projected financial contribution to HS2 from sources outwith her Department and (c) the projected financial contribution to HS2 from her Department and the potential effect of that contribution on funding of the remainder of the railway network.

Justine Greening: Subject to the outcome of the public consultation, the business case for the Government's proposals on HS2, which includes the financial case, will continually evolve throughout the development of the scheme. Should the Government proceed with HS2, we would look to make available information on the financial implications of the project.

High-speed Trains

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she will publish full details of the technical basis for her Department's statement that operating 18 trains per hour, or more, is feasible on a high-speed rail line with train speeds upwards of 225 mph.

Justine Greening: The Transport Select Committee has published evidence provided by HS2 Ltd on the feasibility of operating 18 trains per hour on the proposed high-speed rail network. The evidence is available at question 9 of the following report:
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201012/cmselect/cmtran/1185/1185we39.htm
	HS2 Ltd subsequently published the technical reports underpinning its feasibility assessment. The reports are available at:
	http://www.hs2.org.uk/freedom-of-information/FOI11-312-77862

M180: Repairs and Maintenance

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she expects the roadworks to be completed and all carriageways open on the M180 motorway; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Penning: There are roadworks currently taking place on the M180 at junction 5. These works began on 31 October and are programmed to finish by 16 December 2011. These works, which consist of lighting cabling renewal, have a lane 2 closure in each direction for the duration of the works, 24 hours a day.

Motor Vehicles: Excise Duties

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what her Department's estimate is of the number of vehicles registered on or after 1 March 2001 that have been overcharged for vehicle excise duty by the DVLA because the records that the DVLA held about their carbon emissions were incorrect;
	(2)  how much has been repaid to motorists by the DVLA because they had been overcharged for vehicle excise duty due to incorrect information about the carbon emissions of their vehicle.

Michael Penning: The information requested in both questions is not recorded. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency carried out an exercise in April this year which identified 2,171 records where the emissions figure held was different from the manufacturer's data. After investigation it was found that while the emissions figure was incorrect it did not affect the rate of vehicle excise duty and no keepers had been over or under charged.

Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps her Department has taken to encourage more people to buy environmentally-friendly cars.

Norman Baker: holding answer 29 November 2011
	The Department for Transport leads for the UK in negotiating efficiency standards for new cars and regulations through the EU. As a result of existing regulations new cars will on average be 40% more efficient in 2020 compared to 2008.
	The Department is promoting uptake of ultra-low emission vehicles through the Plug-In Car Grant (PiCG), which provides a grant of 25% towards the cost of an eligible vehicle, up to a maximum of £5,000.
	The Department also encourages people to choose lower CO2 cars through the successful car labelling scheme. The colour-coded fuel economy label for new cars is now displayed in over 90% of new car dealerships. A similar label scheme for used cars was introduced in 2009.

Roads: Fees and Charges

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the receipts from (a) congestion charges, (b) road tolls, (c) bridge tolls and (d) other forms of road charging in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Michael Penning: No such estimate has been made. Most congestion charges and toils are private enterprises or run by local authorities. The Secretary of State for Transport is responsible only for the Dartford Crossing. In 2009-10 the gross revenues for the crossing were £71,780,737. This information, and the same for earlier years, is published in the crossing's accounts at:
	www.highways.gov.uk/roads/projects/4068.aspx

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Council Tax: Second Homes

Stephen Gilbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how councils will be able to measure accurately the number of second homes in their area after proposals to end the council tax discount for second homes come into place.

Bob Neill: In its consultation paper “Technical Reforms of Council Tax”, the Government recognise that if authorities choose, as the Government propose they might, not to offer a discount on second homes, it will become more difficult in practice to distinguish second homes from other dwellings; and ask respondents how authorities might then identify them. The consultation will close on 29 December, and the Government's response will be published as soon as possible thereafter.

High Rise Flats: Fire Extinguishers

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the cost-effectiveness of retrofitting high-rise tower blocks with automatic fire suppression systems; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stunell: We have not made a formal assessment. However, it is the Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser's view that it would not be economically viable or practical to fit sprinklers to all existing high-rise residential buildings.
	It is a matter for individual housing owners and landlords to decide if automatic fire suppression is required as part of their fire safety strategy, based on their fire risk assessment.

Homelessness

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of homelessness acceptances there have been since 2009-10 where the end of an assured shorthold tenancy is the cause of homelessness.

Grant Shapps: Information about English local housing authorities' actions under the homelessness legislation (part 7 of the Housing Act 1996) is collected at local authority level, and a summary is published by the Department in the quarterly Statistical Release on Statutory Homelessness, available both in the Library of the House and via the DCLG website:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/homelessnessstatistics/publicationshomelessness/
	Breakdowns are collected of the reasons for loss of last settled home and the data are published in the table at the following link.
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/statistics/xls/1984198.xls
	Included are the number of households owed the main homelessness duty for which an end of an assured shorthold tenancy was the reason for loss of last settled home.

Local Government: Trade Union Officials

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will take steps to end full-time trade union officials being employed in local government paid for from the public purse.

Bob Neill: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 25 October 2011, Official Report, column 126-127W, to my hon. Friend, the Member for Witham (Priti Patel).

Planning Permission

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what status existing planning policy (a) statements, (b) guidance and (c) circulars will have until the National Planning Policy Framework comes into force.

Greg Clark: Existing planning policy statements, guidance and circulars remain in place and continue to have the same status and effect under planning legislation until the National Planning Policy Framework comes into force. At that time the National Planning Policy Framework will replace existing planning policy documents. The proposed list of planning policy documents to be cancelled is set out at page 13, paragraph 38 of the National Planning Policy Framework consultation document, which can be found at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/draftframeworkconsultation
	Questions 4(a) and 4(b) in the consultation asked what light-touch guidance should accompany the new framework, and what organisations are best placed to provide it. We are now reviewing responses to the consultation.

Regeneration: South West Region

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to support regeneration in (a) Swindon Borough and (b) the South West.

Grant Shapps: The Government are taking a new approach to regeneration and are working to give communities and local partners the powers, tools and information that they need to address local priorities for regeneration and growth. For example:
	Swindon and Wiltshire are establishing a Local Enterprise Partnership which will bring together the private and public sectors to drive forward economic growth. The partnership will direct £6 million of funding that has been allocated to the Swindon and Wiltshire through the Growing Places Fund, which will support infrastructure and help to unlock economic development and housing.
	Local Enterprise Partnerships have already been established in the West of England, Heart of the South West, Cornwall, and Dorset. Between them they have a provisional allocation of £42.4 million from the Growing Places fund.
	Swindon is one of the first 16 areas to have established a Community Budget for families with multiple problems. They are using the new freedoms the approach gives them to redesign services across different service boundaries.
	We are working with Swindon borough council to better utilise public assets to make savings, promote growth and help regenerate areas. The Swindon Capital Asset and Pathfinder Programme is run by the Local Government Association who are supporting a further 15 authorities, including Wiltshire, Devon, Somerset and Bournemouth.
	Swindon borough council proposes to transfer their council housing stock to a Housing Association to access significant private investment funding to maintain the housing stock and support regeneration in neighbourhoods.
	The Homes and Communities Agency is supporting the regeneration of Union Square in the town centre with more than £12 million from the Agency. The Agency has also recently completed a contract with GreenSquare group to invest £1.7 million in the delivery of 81 Affordable Rent and 13 Affordable Home Ownership units in Swindon. The Agency is in discussions with the Council about Wichelstowe, which has planning permission for 3,650 homes, along with associated retail, commercial and community buildings. This is part of a wider investment through the Affordable Homes Programme which has seen the Agency allocate £1.8 billion in the delivery of 80,000 new affordable homes across England.
	Allocations under the Affordable Homes Programme for its South and South West operational area (which also includes Hampshire, Berkshire. Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight) will see the Agency invest more than £241 million, to deliver 12,721 new affordable homes by 2015.
	49 sites have transferred from the South West Regional Development Agency to the Homes and Communities Agency, which will work with local authorities, Local Enterprise Partnerships, businesses and other partners to ensure that the best benefits are secured, whether these are jobs, homes or businesses.
	The Regional Growth Fund has funded 13 bids in local areas across the South West creating and safeguarding an estimated 24,000 jobs. There are Enterprise Zones agreed in Bristol, Newquay and Gosport, that between them expect to create thousands of new jobs in the locality and will support regeneration in these areas.

Right to Buy Scheme

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has made to promote the take-up of the right to buy.

Grant Shapps: The Department will consult widely on the Government's proposal to increase right to buy discounts.
	Subject to the outcome of the consultation, we will ensure that changes to the scheme are widely publicised.

Social Rented Housing: Armed Forces

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance the Government are giving to local authorities to ensure priority access for service and ex-service personnel for council accommodation.

Grant Shapps: We will consult on a change to the law in England by regulation to ensure that those who have served in the armed forces and have urgent housing needs should receive ‘additional preference’ (i.e. high priority) in social housing allocation schemes. We will also consult on regulations which make sure that service personnel who have to move from base to base do not lose their qualification rights to social housing. At the same time we will issue draft statutory allocations guidance for consultation which will provide advice on implementation of these regulations. More generally it will provide clear guidance on the different ways in which proper provision can and should be made for current and former service personnel, including through the use of local preference criteria.
	Ihave recently written to all hon. and right hon. Members to inform them of the actions that the Government are taking to ensure that current and ex-service personnel have the housing support they need and am placing a copy of this letter in the Library of the House.

Social Rented Housing: Armed Forces

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how many members of the armed forces were on social housing waiting lists in (a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Scotland in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with Ministers in the Scottish Government on the Government's plans for additional preference in the allocation of social housing to members of the armed forces;
	(3)  which local authorities in (a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Scotland give additional preference to (i) members of the armed forces and (ii) veterans when allocating social housing.

Grant Shapps: We do not hold information centrally on the number of armed forces personnel on social housing waiting lists in England, Wales or Scotland.
	Currently, the legislation allows, but does not require, local housing authorities in England and Wales to frame their allocation scheme to give additional preference to applicants, including current and former members of the armed forces, who are in urgent housing need. There is no similar requirement in Scottish legislation. We do not collect information centrally on the number or identity of local housing authorities which take advantage of this flexibility.
	The Housing Strategy published on 21 November included a commitment to consult on a change to the law which would require local housing authorities in England to provide for former service personnel with urgent housing needs to receive additional preference in their allocation scheme, so that they should always be at or near the top of waiting lists. Officials in my Department have discussed our proposals with their counterparts in the Welsh and Scottish Governments.
	I have recently written to all hon. and right hon. Members to inform them of the actions that the Government are taking to ensure that current and ex-service personnel have the housing support they need and am placing a copy of this letter in the Library of the House.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Food Procurement

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to ensure that the same standards of animal welfare for whole eggs apply to imported liquefied eggs procured by his Department.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development's two UK office staff restaurants have operated under contract to Mitie Technical Facilities Management since December 2010 on a non-subsidised basis.
	Mitie Catering has advised that it does not purchase liquid egg for either of the two DFID sites.

Food Procurement

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of food sourced by his Department was procured from UK food producers in the latest period for which figures are available.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development's two UK office staff restaurants have operated under contract to Mitie Technical Facilities Management since December 2010 on a non-subsidised basis.
	Approximately 59% of the food purchased by Mitie Catering for DFID's London Headquarters has been procured from UK producers.
	Approximately 68% of the food purchased by Mitie Catering for DFID's East Kilbride Headquarters has been procured from UK producers.

Food Procurement

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to ensure that it meets the Government's buying standards for food and catering.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development's two UK office staff restaurants have operated under contract to Mitie Technical Facilities Management since December 2010 on a non-subsidised basis.
	To ensure DFID's contract with Mitie Technical Facilities Management reflects the Government's commitment on UK buying standards on food, Mitie Catering must take full account of and abide by the DEFRA Public Sector Food Procurement Initiatives (PSFPI).

Haiti: Asylum

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will consider having discussions with the Government of the Dominican Republic on the financial assistance needed to deal with refugees from Haiti.

Alan Duncan: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) opened an office in the Dominican Republic in 2010 to provide assistance to refugees from Haiti and so is well placed to discuss this matter with the Government of the Dominican Republic. The UK's contribution to any necessary support would be from our core support to UNHCR (£118 million between 2011 and 2015).

International Assistance

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to ensure that the Millennium Development Goals will be met.

Alan Duncan: The UK participated actively in the UN Millennium Development Goals Summit in September 2010, which agreed the document “Keeping the Promise—United to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals”. This set out a path towards meeting the MDGs, and the UK will remain at the forefront of international efforts to achieve the MDGs.
	We have also taken significant steps to make British aid more focused and as effective as possible in order to maintain the momentum towards the MDGs. The bilateral aid review developed a set of results offers using British funds, underpinned by evidence and value for money, which will address each of the MDGs. At the same time the multilateral aid review examined the effectiveness of each of the international funds and organisations through which the UK also spends aid in order to tackle poverty.

Somalia: Politics and Government

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with the representatives of the World Food Programme on the reliability of estimates of the number of (a) people affected and (b) famine zones in respect of the crisis in Somalia.

Alan Duncan: Latest surveys by the United Nations Food Security and Analysis Unit (FSNAU) show that the number of regions/population groups experiencing famine has fallen from six to three, and that four million people across Somalia will require humanitarian assistance until at least August 2012. FSNAU is the United Nations agency responsible for food security assessments undertaken inside Somalia. Staff from my Department are confident that the FSNAU's assessments are robust, but recognise that conflict and ongoing migration within and out of Somalia complicate the conduct of field surveys.
	I have discussed the humanitarian situation in Somalia with the Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP) several times during the current crisis. She has never questioned FSNAU's estimates which WFP feeds into.

Somalia: Reconstruction

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his most recent assessment is of the level of recovery in Somalia; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Duncan: According to latest surveys undertaken by the United Nations Food Security and Analysis Unit (FSNAU), famine conditions are now confined to three regions/population groups of south Somalia—down from six. While this represents an improvement, those areas no longer experiencing famine are still assessed to be in humanitarian emergency conditions, and FSNAU has warned that famine will re-emerge without relief aid. The provision of humanitarian aid, including that funded by the UK, has played a key role in the improved humanitarian context in Somalia.
	FSNAU's assessments show that famine still persists among internally displaced people in Afgooye and Mogadishu and in Middle Shabelle region. But with continued support by the start of 2012 these regions/population groups should no longer experience famine. Some four million Somalis will remain in crisis until at least August 2012.

EDUCATION

Child Protection

Craig Whittaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how he plans to ensure that the revised statutory guidance, “Working Together to Safeguard Children”, will be appropriately enforced on all relevant partner agencies.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 28 November 2011
	The Government response to Professor Eileen Munro's review of child protection committed to revising “Working Together to Safeguard Children” by July 2012.
	“Working Together to Safeguard Children” will provide guidance on how organisations and individuals should work together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. The guidance will remain on a statutory footing and all relevant agencies must have regard to it.
	Ofsted will continue to undertake universal inspections of local authority safeguarding services. We are also working with all relevant inspectorates to consider how inspections can examine the effectiveness of all local services, in line with Professor Munro's recommendation. This will help drive further improvement in the safeguarding of children and young people.
	A multi-disciplinary Professional Advisory Group has been convened and is advising on proposed revisions to the statutory guidance. A full, formal consultation will commence on the revised “Working Together to Safeguard Children” from early 2012.

Child Protection

Jonathan Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on improvements to the collection of data on child neglect by local authorities.

Tim Loughton: On 31 October 2011, the Government published “Safeguarding children in the reformed NHS: a co-produced work programme with Department of Health, Department for Education and other key stakeholders”. On the same day, the Under-Secretary of State for Health, my hon. Friend the Member for Guildford (Anne Milton), and I wrote to confirm our Departments' commitment to ensure robust arrangements for safeguarding children in the NHS of the future.
	The Department has been working with the Department of Health and the wider sector to take forward Professor Munro's recommendation to have a revised suite of local and national performance information to drive improvements in children's safeguarding.
	The Department for Education currently collects data annually from local authorities oh children who are the subject of a Child Protection Plan for physical, mental and sexual abuse or neglect. The draft child safeguarding data set published in Professor Munro's final report includes additional items that would give local authorities and central Government greater understanding of neglect and of other aspects of safeguarding children than is currently available through existing collections.
	We will be consulting formally on the draft data set in the new year prior to announcing the content of the data set in May 2012. We will continue working with the Department of Health as the work develops.

Food Procurement

Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department spent on food procurement in each year from 1997 to 2011.

Tim Loughton: The information requested is not held centrally and cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate costs.

Departmental Publications

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many (a) leaflets, (b) posters and (c) reports his Department has published since May 2010; how much each cost; and which company (i) published and (ii) designed each.

Tim Loughton: The Department for Education central records do not distinguish between the categories of publication requested, and so to provide a comprehensive answer setting out total quantities, costs, and publishing and design companies for each would incur disproportionate cost. Records do show, however, that as part of our output we have produced 290 research reports and associated documents from May 2010 to date.
	In order to reduce costs we adopt a policy of publishing “digital by default”, and we carry out design work using in-house expertise at no additional cost wherever practical. Where external support is required, we use our publishing delivery service contract with Prolog Communisis or publish through the Government's contract with TSO.

Local Safeguarding Children Boards

Craig Whittaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he plans to take to ensure local safeguarding children boards will be (a) appropriately resourced and (b) able to secure improvement in partner agencies in local areas.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 28 November 2011
	Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCB) perform an important function in monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of what is done by the local authority and by board partners individually and collectively to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and advise them on ways to improve.
	LSCBs have a unique, system-wide role to play in helping and protecting children and young people and the Government believe that their role and impact should be strengthened. We are currently exploring how best to do that with a range of partners in the sector and with LSCBs themselves. Part of this work will be to consider LSCBs' capacity at the local level to perform their role effectively.

Youth Services: Expenditure

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the percentage change in each local authority's expenditure on youth services between 2009-10 and 2010-11.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 24 November 2011
	Figures for actual spend by local authority in 2010-11 are not available until January 2012. Therefore the best estimate of the percentage change must be based on planned spend, for which figures are available for both years.
	According to the figures provided by local authorities the change in planned expenditure for each local authority on youth services between 2009-10 and 2010-11 may be found in the following table.
	
		
			 Planned spend on services for young people (1,2) 
			   All provision of activities for YP 
			   2009-10 2010-11 % change 
			 201 City of London 666,000 652,898 -2 
			 202 Camden 9,192,225 8,607,759 -6 
			 203 Greenwich 8,615,757 8,557,550 -1 
			 204 Hackney 10,880,863 13,142,050 +21 
			 205 Hammersmith and Fulham 6,007,379 4,785,620 -20 
			 206 Islington 11,312,627 12,066,258 +7 
			 207 Kensington and Chelsea 5,666,300 6,238,850 +10 
			 208 Lambeth 9,119,050 8,091,789 -11 
			 209 Lewisham 10,079,874 8,883,241 -12 
			 210 Southwark 10,666,019 10,398,082 -3 
			 211 Tower Hamlets 9,878,854 16,429,891 +66 
			 212 Wandsworth 7,862,789 7,415,109 -6 
			 213 Westminster 7,005,950 5,860,550 -16 
			 301 Barking and Dagenham 5,059,980 4,840,071 -4 
			 302 Barnet 6,114,538 5,630,721 -8 
			 303 Bexley 4,369,000 4,359,000 -0 
			 304 Brent 6,437,645 6,530,052 +1 
			 305 Bromley 4,517,251 4,145,941 -8 
			 306 Croydon 11,414,496 10,641,250 -7 
			 307 Ealing 7,014,498 6,840,523 -2 
			 308 Enfield 7,275,953 5,854,891 -6 
			 309 Haringey 5,395,964 4,615,943 -14 
			 310 Harrow 4,793,500 4,356,019 -9 
			 311 Havering 5,043,568 5,060,303 +0 
			 312 Hillingdon 6,650,560 8,975,500 +35 
			 313 Hounslow 5,585,589 5,711,096 +2 
			 314 Kingston upon Thames 3,568,968 3,219,666 -10 
			 315 Merton 3,520,776 3,192,531 -9 
			 316 Newham 9,738,241 13,908,378 +43 
			 317 Redbridge 5,133,067 4,968,568 -3 
			 318 Richmond upon Thames 3,791,923 3,784,154 -0 
			 319 Sutton 7,550,300 3,422,200 -55 
			 320 Waltham Forest 6,985,154 7,449,204 +7 
			 330 Birmingham 26,166,460 24,070,039 -8 
			 331 Coventry 9,426,838 8,793,570 -7 
			 332 Dudley 7,714,682 7,329,603 -5 
			 333 Sandwell 9,068,100 8,927,500 -2 
			 334 Solihull 4,529,671 4,562,015 +1 
			 335 Walsall 7,539,228 7,745,741 +3 
			 336 Wolverhampton 8,576,870 8,322,820 -3 
			 340 Knowsley 2,377,634 4,294,098 +81 
			 341 Liverpool 15,759,505 15,936,302 +1 
			 342 St Helens 3,649,585 5,542,480 +52 
			 343 Sefton 6,102,474 9,472,502 +55 
			 344 Wirral 8,288,800 8,443,400 +2 
			 350 Bolton 7,906,881 7,971,700 +1 
			 351 Bury 3,852,349 3,910,407 +2 
			 352 Manchester 15,388,463 16,171,577 +5 
			 353 Oldham 3,280,501 2,944,790 -10 
		
	
	
		
			 354 Rochdale 5,689,387 5,605,645 -1 
			 355 Salford 6,521,300 7,877,215 +21 
			 356 Stockport 6,300,530 6,927,460 +10 
			 357 Tameside 4,667,000 6,129,250 +31 
			 358 Trafford 4,590,747 4,652,817 +1 
			 359 Wigan 8,637,708 8,958,539 +4 
			 370 Barnsley 6,003,995 5,809,438 -3 
			 371 Doncaster 7,186,799 7,826,198 +9 
			 372 Rotherham 7,131,039 7,004,053 -2 
			 373 Sheffield 12,374,088 16,814,023 +36 
			 380 Bradford 14,125,571 13,587,675 -4 
			 381 Calderdale 6,884,288 6,905,315 +0 
			 382 Kirklees 7,991,423 10,950,291 +37 
			 383 Leeds 21,068,041 23,174,220 +10 
			 384 Wakefield 8,988,646 9,745,673 +8 
			 390 Gateshead 4,436,510 3,441,537 -22 
			 391 Newcastle upon Tyne 8,941,630 8,359,241 -7 
			 392 North Tyneside 4,927,396 3,347,299 -32 
			 393 South Tyneside 4,515,776 5,588,360 +24 
			 394 Sunderland 13,760,677 13,344,370 -3 
			 420 Isles of Scilly 117,500 121,169 +3 
			 800 Bath and North East Somerset 3,059,572 3,348,192 +9 
			 801 Bristol, City of 9,461,233 8,717,687 -8 
			 802 North Somerset 3,125,597 3,085,005 -1 
			 803 South Gloucestershire 4,623,000 4,671,000 +1 
			 805 Hartlepool 3,116,187 3,116,165 -0 
			 806 Middlesbrough 5,239,311 5,127,622 -2 
			 807 Redcar and Cleveland 4,180,541 5,101,148 +22 
			 808 Stockton-on-Tees 5,657,412 5,693,716 +1 
			 810 Kingston upon Hull, City of 15,830,549 11,401,498 -28 
			 811 East Riding of Yorkshire 7,036,042 6,376,840 -9 
			 812 North East Lincolnshire 5,824,822 5,627,008 -3 
			 813 North Lincolnshire 3,686,390 3,985,870 +8 
			 815 North Yorkshire 11,353,670 10,734,506 -5 
			 816 York 3,680,980 4,084,780 +11 
			 821 Luton 4,832,848 5,186,013 +7 
			 822 Bedford borough 3,079,953 3,514,972 +14 
			 823 Central Bedfordshire 3,713,871 4,162,562 +12 
			 825 Buckinghamshire 10,364,837 8,870,556 -14 
			 826 Milton Keynes 6,088,855 6,275,696 +3 
			 830 Derbyshire 14,144,793 14,206,246 +0 
			 831 Derby 6,436,783 7,120,359 +11 
			 835 Dorset 6,724,800 6,768,700 +1 
			 836 Poole 2,860,680 2,635,129 -8 
			 837 Bournemouth 3,747,230 3,835,200 +2 
			 840 Durham 11,626,733 11,770,968 +1 
			 841 Darlington 2,493,174 2,899,854 +16 
			 845 East Sussex 8,670,541 8,100,056 -7 
			 846 Brighton and Hove 6,104,165 5,161,350 -15 
			 850 Hampshire 16,947,000 16,381,600 -3 
			 851 Portsmouth 3,833,564 3,269,025 -15 
		
	
	
		
			 852 Southampton 4,123,558 4,164,919 +1 
			 855 Leicestershire 10,526,266 10,376,086 -1 
			 856 Leicester 9,560,381 9,268,026 -3 
			 857 Rutland 878,000 1,013,300 +15 
			 860 Staffordshire 14,806,480 15,116,319 +2 
			 861 Stoke-on-Trent 5,776,599 7,168,273 +24 
			 865 Wiltshire 8,895,984 8,345,741 -6 
			 866 Swindon 4,530,148 4,698,623 +4 
			 867 Bracknell Forest 2,678,719 2,747,019 +3 
			 868 Windsor and Maidenhead 3,456,160 3,102,050 -10 
			 869 West Berkshire 3,700,905 3,898,080 +5 
			 870 Reading 3,769,801 3,984,274 +6 
			 871 Slough 4,085,803 4,598,167 +13 
			 872 Wokingham 3,021,350 2,704,138 -10 
			 873 Cambridgeshire 8,740,561 9,423,407 +8 
			 874 Peterborough 3,925,780 3,581,008 -9 
			 876 Halton 3,375,087 3,544,304 +5 
			 877 Warrington 4,001,491 4,119,028 +3 
			 878 Devon 13,392,477 12,754,652 -5 
			 879 Plymouth 7,353,567 7,113,359 -3 
			 880 Torbay 2,626,370 3,016,780 +15 
			 881 Essex 23,130,992 20,340,878 -12 
			 882 Southend-on-Sea 3,334,036 3,489,100 +5 
			 883 Thurrock 3,902,336 3,108,200 -20 
			 884 Herefordshire 3,005,668 2,832,459 -6 
			 885 Worcestershire 9,403,682 10,137,931 +8 
			 886 Kent 28,555,193 28,259,357 -1 
			 887 Medway 5,002,945 8,378,827 +67 
			 888 Lancashire 26,973,129 26,990,353 +0 
			 889 Blackburn with Darwen 4,086,279 4,323,400 +6 
			 890 Blackpool 4,732,874 4,261,268 -10 
			 891 Nottinghamshire 17,264,998 17,479,746 +1 
			 892 Nottingham 10,453,562 6,124,743 -41 
			 893 Shropshire 5,635,042 5,677,032 +1 
			 894 Telford and Wrekin 3,174,982 3,676,871 +16 
			 895 Cheshire East 4,574,620 4,288,130 -6 
			 896 Cheshire West and Chester 4,823,661 5,005,058 +4 
			 908 Cornwall 8,762,115 8,766,289 +0 
			 909 Cumbria 8,674,788 9,160,000 +6 
			 916 Gloucestershire 10,656,650 10,105,471 -5 
			 919 Hertfordshire 15,815,227 14,541,037 -8 
			 921 Isle of Wight 3,068,692 2,874,610 -6 
			 925 Lincolnshire 11,954,784 11,257,912 -6 
			 926 Norfolk 14,222,083 13,321,323 -6 
			 928 Northamptonshire 9,082,787 8,779,420 -3 
			 929 Northumberland 6,274,040 7,110,500 +13 
			 931 Oxfordshire 10,190,689 10,209,748 +0 
			 933 Somerset 11,978,420 10,307,882 -14 
			 935 Suffolk 11,755,705 11,418,962 -3 
			 935 Surrey 22,013,769 21,124,795 -4 
			 937 Warwickshire 10,563,182 10,954,965 +4 
		
	
	
		
			 938 West Sussex 11,723,315 10,187,379 -13 
			  Total England 1,176,963,715 1,180,704,500 +0 
			 (1) Data are as reported by LAs in their s251 Budget returns. (2 )Total services for young people includes spend on universal services for young people (including youth work, positive activities, Connexions and information, advice and guidance), targeted services for young people (including youth work, positive activities and information, advice and guidance), substance misuse services (drugs, alcohol, and volatile substances), teenage pregnancy services, discretionary awards and student support.

Youth Services: Manpower

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many youth workers were employed in (a) England and (b) each local authority in (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11.

Tim Loughton: The Department does not hold or collect information on the numbers of youth workers employed by local authorities. It is the responsibility of local authorities to determine, in the light of their assessment of local needs and circumstances, how best to configure their services and the workforce required to deliver them.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Mass Media

Peter Bone: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what account he took of parliamentary protocol in deciding to give interviews to the BBC and Sky News on the youth contract on 25 November 2011.

Nicholas Clegg: The details of the youth contract were released by the Department for Work and Pensions via a written ministerial statement on the morning of 25 November 2011, Official Report, columns 42-44WS.

Mass Media

Peter Bone: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will publish details of the media interviews he carried out on 24 and 25 November 2011, including (a) to whom they were made, (b) the subject matter and (c) the time they were made.

Nicholas Clegg: On 24 November I carried out media interviews with the BBC, ITN and Sky with a strict embargo on broadcast until lunchtime on 25 November. I also carried out follow-up interviews on 25 November. The subject matters covered in these interviews were the economy, the Scarman lecture and youth unemployment.

Procurement

David Simpson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what procedures his Office has put in place to ensure value for money on purchases; and what savings have been realised through use of such procedures in the last year.

Nicholas Clegg: For the purposes of corporate administration and financial management, my Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office. I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), on 29 November 2011, Official Report, column 832W.

Departmental Publications

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many (a) leaflets, (b) posters and (c) reports his Office has published since May 2010; how much each cost; and which company (i) published and (ii) designed each.

Nicholas Clegg: Between May 2010 and October 2011, my Office published 10 Command Papers and one House of Commons paper with The Stationery Office, (including one designed by the Central Office of Information) at a total cost of £27,583. A further three papers were published, two internally and one with the Central Office of Information, at a total cost of £13,472.

CABINET OFFICE

Public Sector: Computer Software

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether his Department has considered encouraging public bodies and central Government Departments to use open source software; and how many such bodies have began using open source software since May 2010.

Nick Hurd: The Cabinet Office recognises that in certain circumstances open source solutions present opportunities for improved value for money and can stimulate a more competitive IT marketplace.
	Its position is to introduce a level playing field where both open source and proprietary software will be evaluated and the solution that offers best value for money, when the total cost of ownership has been calculated, will be selected. To assist Departments and bodies when evaluating open source solutions, the Cabinet Office has published an Open Source Procurement Toolkit, which is available at:
	https://update.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/open-source-procurement-toolkit
	As part of the Strategic Implementation Plan that followed the Government IT strategy, the Cabinet Office is collecting and will publish publishing metrics, including the total number of open source software solutions deployed by central Government Departments. These will be published in the ICT Strategy Progress update in March 2012.

Public Sector: West Midlands

Ian Austin: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the number of people employed in the public sector in (a) the West Midlands and (b) Dudley Borough in each of the next three years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated November 2011
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions asking how many people were employed in the public sector in (a) the West Midlands and (b) Dudley Borough in each of the next three years. (84334)
	Public Sector employment statistics for local areas can be calculated from the Annual Population Survey (APS). Individuals in the APS are classified to the public or private sector according to their responses to the survey.
	The Office for National Statistics does not produce projections for information on the number of people employed in the public sector in (a) the West Midlands and (b) Dudley Borough in each of the next three years.
	As an alternative Table 1 attached shows the number of persons employed in the public sector, resident in the West Midlands and Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council. The figures have been provided from the APS for the 12 month periods ending in January from 2009 to 2011, the latest period for which figures are available.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of the resident population of West Midlands and Dudley employed in the public sector 
			 Thousand 
			 12 months ending: Level Level 
			 January 2009 584 34 
			 January 2010 599 36 
			 January 2011 *585 **35 
			 Note: Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality following. Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. KEY C Statistical * Estimates are considered precise. ** Estimates are considered reasonably precise. *** Estimates are considered acceptable. **** Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes. Source: Annual Population Survey

Sustainable Development: Cabinet Committees

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which Cabinet sub-committee is responsible for considering the business plans of Government Departments in relation to sustainable development principles.

Oliver Letwin: As the Minister responsible for Government policy, I have been asked to respond. As part of her lead responsibility for sustainable development, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman), sits on the Economic Affairs, Home Affairs and Reducing Regulation Committees, to enforce the Government's commitment to sustainability across policy making. In addition, working closely with the Secretary of State, I hold Departments to account through the quarterly business plan review process.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Apprentices

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many apprenticeships his Department plans to offer in each of the next four years.

John Hayes: The Department has not set itself future numerical targets for apprenticeships as we have been going through a period of restructure and reducing staff numbers. However, I remain strongly committed to the programme and will continue to support its use to up-skill staff.
	Apprenticeships in BIS will be linked to specific jobs and individuals' skills needs. The Department has supported 14 new apprenticeships since April 2011.

Apprentices

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many apprenticeship starts have been filled by an (a) employee new to the businesses and (b) existing employee in 2010-11.

John Hayes: Following the Apprenticeship, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 all apprentices have to be employed. We do not have information available on the number of apprenticeship starts that were employees new to the business or existing employees.
	The Individualised Learner Record (ILR) records whether an apprentice has an ‘employed’ status on the day before they started their learning aim. But it does not provide detailed information to identify the length of time an apprentice has had an ‘employed’ status or whether they have moved to a new employer to start their apprenticeship programme. Employers may also delay starting employees onto an apprenticeship programme for a variety of reasons, including probationary periods. In these cases the apprentice may be recorded as ‘employed’ on the day before they started their apprenticeship, but they could still be new to the business.
	In the 2010/11 academic year, provisional data show that 404,000 apprenticeship starts were recorded on the ILR as having an ‘employed’ status on the day before they started their learning aim.
	Information on the number of apprenticeship starts is published in a quarterly Statistical First Release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 27 October 2011:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current
	An apprentice pay survey, undertaken in 2007, indicated that 48% of apprentices had worked for their employer before starting their apprenticeship, with 52% new to the employer.

Apprentices

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what proportion of apprenticeships started in each (a) local authority area and (b) region was taken up by people aged (i) 19 to 24 and (ii) over 24 years in each of the last four years;
	(2)  what proportion of apprenticeships started in each (a) local authority area and (b) region was taken up by people aged 16 to 19 years in each of the last four years.

John Hayes: I have made data available in the Libraries of the House showing the proportion of apprenticeship programme starts by local authority and region in each age band from 2006/07 to 2009/10, the latest year for which final data are available.
	Information on the number of apprenticeship programme starts is published in a quarterly statistical first release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 27 October 2011:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current

Public Houses

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many non-tied publicans (a) in Jarrow constituency, (b) in South Tyneside, (c) in the north-east and (d) nationally have managed their pub for more than three years.

Edward Davey: The Government do not maintain figures on how long publicans have managed their pubs.

Public Houses

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many breaches of codes of practice by pub companies with their tenants (a) in Jarrow constituency, (b) in South Tyneside, (c) in the north-east and (d) nationally have been reported in the last 12 months.

Edward Davey: The Government do not maintain figures on how many breaches of the codes of practice have occurred. Oversight of the codes of practice is the responsibility of the British Institute of Innkeeping benchmark and accreditation service.
	The Government recently announced a range of significant reforms in the pub industry, including for the industry framework code to be strengthened and made legally binding, as well as the establishment of an independent conciliation and arbitration service to resolve disputes relating to the code. The Government's reforms may be found at:
	http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/cm82/8222/8222.pdf

Business

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what Overseas Market Introduction Service reports UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) has produced for Oxitec Ltd; on what date each report was provided; to which countries exports were considered; and on what dates any follow-up meetings organised by UKTI, the Science and Innovation Network or his Department took place.

Mark Prisk: Oxitec has agreed that UK Trade & Investment can confirm it has delivered OMIS reports covering Brazil, Vietnam and India as detailed as follows. However, UK Trade & Investment's Overseas Market Introduction Service orders contain commercially sensitive information which cannot be released without the authority of each contributor or named company or individual in each market. Answering the question fully would require obtaining the authority of just under 70 companies or individuals across a number of overseas markets and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			 Market Report delivered Activities delivered 
			 India July 2005 Research to identify potential business partners in India. No meetings were organised by UKTI as part of this OMIS. 
			 Brazil February 2010 Research to identify potential partners with experience in transgenic technology and potential venture capital investors, plus a programme arranging service of calls on these companies. 
			 Vietnam June 2010 Background research into Vietnamese regulatory process and identifying potential partners. No meetings were organised as part of this OMIS.

Business

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of partners, proprietors and employees that are engaged in (a) incorporated and (b) non-incorporated businesses.

Edward Davey: Companies House does not keep any record of proprietors and employees of incorporated businesses. However, it does record the number of partners of limited liability partnerships and limited partnerships and the figures for these are as follows:
	
		
			 Type of business Number of partnerships 
			 Limited liability partnerships 202,858 
			 Limited partnerships 106,753 
		
	
	Companies House does not keep any records relating to non-incorporated businesses.

Business: Government Assistance

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the Welsh Assembly Government's (a) ReAct, (b) ProAct, (c) ReAct II and (d) ProAct Skills Growth Wales schemes; and if he will make a statement.

John Hayes: Responsibility for business and the economy and for education and skills is devolved. As such, it is for the Welsh Assembly Government to make suitable assessments of these schemes.
	A range of support is in place for workers and for business in England. For example, the Job Centre Plus Rapid Response Service, which helps people facing redundancy to move rapidly into alternative employment. The Government have also put in place measures to help improve the skills of those who are unemployed so they can gain employment and progress in work.
	Schemes like the Growth and Innovation Fund are broadly similar to the Welsh ProAct scheme, helping business to make the most of how skills can promote enterprise, productivity and growth.

Credit

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many applications to be listed on the Consumer Credit Public Register have been rejected in each of the last five years; and for what reason in each case.

Edward Davey: The following table lists, for the last five complete calendar years, the counts of all new applications, renewals or variations which have been “rejected” either by being made of no effect, or formally refused. For the formal refusals, if no appeal was received, the date of the final decision is used to decide which year to count them under. If an appeal was made, then the appeal decision date is used. Any cases with ongoing appeals are not included.
	The figures relate to refusals, refusals to renew, and refusals to vary only. Revocations, granting in different terms, and requirements have not been included.
	
		
			  Applications made of no effect Applications refused 
			 2006-07 562 40 
			 2007-08 938 25 
			 2008-09 953 14 
			 2009-10 630 20 
			 2010-11 200 18

Daylight Saving Bill

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  from which part of his Department's budget he has made the provision for the payment of money relating to the Daylight Saving Bill; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how much and what proportion of the payment of money relating to the Daylight Saving Bill is in connection with (a) the passage of the Bill through Parliament and (b) consultation with the devolved Assemblies;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of any potential costs to be incurred by local authorities in England in respect of implementation of the provisions of the Daylight Saving Bill;
	(4)  if he will consult with the English regions on the implications of the Daylight Saving Bill; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  how he plans to allocate expenditure proposed for implementation of the provisions of the Daylight Saving Bill.

Edward Davey: Provision for expenditure on the Daylight Saving Bill has not yet been made. Should the Bill be enacted, we anticipate any costs largely falling in the next financial year and allocations have yet to be made.
	We have estimated the cost to the Government of providing an independent Oversight Group and commissioning the cost-benefit analysis reviewing the likely effects of advancing time in the United Kingdom by one hour at £750,000. This sum takes no account of the cost of the Bill’s passage in Parliament, nor consultation with the devolved Assemblies. I would anticipate such expenditure being met from Departments’ general running costs.
	No estimate has yet been made by the Department as to the potential costs to be incurred by local authorities in England or anywhere else in the United Kingdom in respect of implementation of the provisions of the Daylight Saving Bill.
	Should the Daylight Saving Bill become law, a full cost-benefit analysis of the potential effects of advancing time by one hour in the UK will be prepared. Representations will be invited from a wide range of organisations and bodies, including the local authorities of England as well as those of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Daylight Saving Bill has yet to complete parliamentary consideration; details of how to allocate expenditure have yet to be considered.

Departmental Communication

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) press officers, (b) internal communications officers, (c) external communications officers, (d) communications strategy officers and (e) other positions with a communications remit were employed by (i) his Department, (ii) its agencies and (iii) each non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Edward Davey: As of November 2011 the BIS communications directorate has 95 staff within four teams: Media Relations, Stakeholder and Ministerial Engagement, Internal Communications and Corporate Communications. In addition, BIS has 12 embedded communications practitioners placed in directorates across the Department.
	The most recent information in respect of communications staff employed by the partners, agencies and non-departmental public bodies sponsored by BIS is contained in the Operational Efficiency Programme Benchmarking Report for April 2009 to May 2010, which was commissioned by the Cabinet Office. The link to access this information is
	http://data.gov.uk/dataset/oep-benchmarking-data-2009-10

Departmental Publications

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) leaflets, (b) posters and (c) reports his Department has published since May 2010; how much each cost; and which company (i) published and (ii) designed each.

Edward Davey: Since May 2010, the Department has published the following, which have incurred an external cost to be produced:
	(a) Two campaigns which involved leaflets being produced at a cost of £170,208
	(b) Three campaigns which involved posters being produced at a cost of £10,455
	(c) 39 reports have been produced at a cost of £306,827
	All items listed were produced by companies contracted through Government frameworks.

Export Credit Guarantees: Argentina

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr of 9 November 2011, Official Report, column 375W, on export credits guarantees, what trade deals comprise Argentina's £45.24 million debt.

Edward Davey: The information requested is not held in a readily identifiable form and would involve disproportionate cost to obtain.

G4S

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many contracts his Department has awarded to G4S since May 2010; and what the (a) monetary value and (b) net worth was of each such contract.

Edward Davey: Central records indicate that the following total payments have been made to G4S Group companies since May 2010 for security services relating to the ex-Learning and Skills Council Estate;
	
		
			  £ 
			 G4S Secure Solutions (UK) Ltd 88,402,67 
			 G4S Technology Ltd 36,413.36 
			 Total 124,816.03 
		
	
	All figures exclude VAT.
	Further information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he intends to answer the letter sent to him by the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on 6 October 2011 with regard to Mr P. Wightman.

Edward Davey: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), responded to this letter on 17 October 2011.

Money Lenders

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many prosecutions have been brought against unlicensed money lenders in each of the last five years.

Edward Davey: In each of the last five years, the following number of prosecutions that have been brought against unlicensed money lenders through the Illegal Money Lending Project:
	
		
			 Financial year Prosecutions 
			 2007-08 50 
			 2008-09 89 
			 2009-10 57 
		
	
	
		
			 2010-11 33 
			 Source: Illegal Money Lending Team 
		
	
	The Illegal Money Lending project was set up in 2004 as a pilot to investigate illegal money lenders (loan sharks). In 2007 the project was expanded to create three teams covering England, Scotland and Wales. As well as arresting and prosecuting loan sharks, the teams work with community partners to raise awareness of the practice and provide advice and support to victims. BIS funding for the project was £5.2 million in 2011/12.

National Debtline

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many calls have been made to the National Debtline in each month since May 2007.

Edward Davey: The following table shows the number of calls made to the National Debtline each month since May 2007
	
		
			  2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 
			 January — 21,869 40,797 33,279 29,321 
			 February — 19,946 36,621 32,506 28,343 
			 March — 18,868 38,850 32,346 26,491 
			 April — 20,220 36,832 26,324 18,408 
			 May 15,073 17,840 40,149 23,090 22,866 
			 June 16,151 20,287 41,684 23,791 22,110 
			 July 16,512 21,572 36,902 25,637 20,097 
			 August 15,450 20,889 28,654 24,985 20,501 
			 September 15,637 22,929 29,939 24,671 19,870 
			 October 16,764 24,486 27,574 23,559 19,156 
			 November 16,403 26,505 28,934 22,548 — 
			 December 9,101 20,762 17,777 12,479 — 
			 Source: Money Advice Trust 
		
	
	National Debtline is managed by the Money Advice Trust, which is an independent charity funded in the main by donations and Government funding. In 2011-12, BIS Department provided £1 million towards the cost of the helpline.

Odgers Berndtson

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what payments Odgers Berndtson received from his Department for recruitment services from 1 May 2010 to 30 October 2011; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: holding answer 24 November 2011
	During the period 1 May 2010 to 30 October 2011, Human Resources in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills paid £16,355 plus VAT to Odgers Berndtson for recruitment services.

Oxitec Ltd

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on what dates meetings between Ministers or officials of his Department and its predecessors and Oxitec Ltd have taken place since 2000.

Edward Davey: Information about Ministers' meetings is now published quarterly and can be accessed via the following link. Details of meetings which occurred prior to publication in October 2009 and meetings with officials, which are not recorded centrally, could be produced only at disproportionate cost.
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/transparency/staff

Public Sector: Training

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to the report by the British Chambers of Commerce on skills for business, if he will assess the merits of giving access to training to all public sector workers who are at risk of redundancy.

Edward Davey: All individuals, including public sector workers, can access the further education (FE) and skills system to undertake training, including to retrain and re-skill. The Government's Skills Strategy, Skills for Sustainable Growth, sets out how we are reforming the FE and skills system to better support and improve the skills of the work force, the performance of the economy and engagement in learning. The Government's objective is to deliver a skills system driven from the bottom up, able to respond to the needs of all individuals, communities and an increasingly dynamic economy.

Supermarkets: Competition

Nadhim Zahawi: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his policy is on third party referrals to the groceries code adjudicator; and whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals in respect of such referrals.

Edward Davey: The Government's position is that only evidence from direct and indirect suppliers, and publically available evidence, should be able to initiate investigations by the groceries code adjudicator. However, we have agreed to consider further the question of whether evidence from trade bodies or whistleblowers should also be taken into account.

Trade Unions: Training

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding was provided by the Skills Funding Agency and its predecessor bodies to (a) trade unions and (b) TUC Education in each of the last five years.

John Hayes: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer the Minister of State for Universities and Science, my right hon. Friend the Member for Havant (Mr Willetts) gave to my hon. Friend for Witham on 11 July 2011, Official Report, column reference 195W.

UK Trade & Investment Overseas Market Introduction Service report

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will place in the Library a copy of each UK Trade & Investment Overseas Market Introduction Service report for Oxitec Ltd.

Mark Prisk: UK Trade & Investment provides support to UK business in 96 markets representing 98% of global GDP and delivers Overseas Market Introduction Service reports at the request of UK business. Each report contains detailed information gathered from a wide variety of foreign companies and individuals in the overseas markets. The information in each report is commercially sensitive and cannot be released without the authority of each contributor or named company or individual in each market. Answering the question would require obtaining the authority of just under 70 companies or individuals across a number of overseas markets and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Unemployment: Young People

David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people aged between 19 and 24 were not in education, employment or training in Warrington South constituency in each academic year since 1997.

John Hayes: Table 1 provides estimates of the number and proportion of people aged(1) 16 to 24 not in education, employment or training (NEET) in Warrington local authority in each year from 2000 to 2010. Due to incomplete data, comparable NEET estimates are not available prior to 2000.
	
		
			 Table 1: People aged 16-24 not in education, employment or training (NEET) in Warrington local authority 
			  NEET number NEET percentage Confidence interval 
			 2000(1) 3,000 16% +/- 6pp 
			 2001(1) 3,000 17% +/- 5pp 
			 2002(1) 3,000 16% +/- 5pp 
			 2003(1) 2,000 8% +/- 5pp 
			 2004 3,000 12% +/- 5pp 
			 2005 2,000 9% +/- 5pp 
			 2006 2,000 10% +/- 6pp 
			 2007 2,000 13% +/- 6pp 
			 2008 3,000 14% +/- 6pp 
			 2009 3,000 18% +/- 6pp 
			 2010 3,000 14% +/- 6pp 
			 (1) Period covered is from March of the given year to the following February. 
		
	
	Estimates from 2004 to 2010 are from the Annual Population Survey (APS), which covers the period January to December of each year. Estimates from 2000 to 2003 are from the Annual Local Area Labour Force Survey (ALALFS), the predecessor to the APS, which covers the period from March of the given year to the following February. The APS and ALALFS are the only available sources of data with a sample large enough to provide local authority estimates of the number of young people up to the age of 24 who are NEET. However, the sample is not large enough to provide estimates for smaller geographies, such as parliamentary constituencies, or to provide local authority estimates for age ranges narrower than 16 to 24.
	Please note that these estimates are subject to large sampling variability and should therefore be treated with caution and viewed in conjunction with their Confidence Intervals(2) (CIs), which indicate how accurate an estimate is. For example, a CI of +/-5 percentage points (pp) means that the true value is between 5pp above the estimate and 5pp below the estimate.
	(1 )Age used is academic age, which is defined as the respondent’s age as at the preceding 31 August.
	(2) Those given are 95% confidence intervals.

Vocational Guidance

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his policy is on ensuring a minimum professional qualification level for staff providing the telephone careers advice element of the National Careers Service.

John Hayes: Although the National Careers Service will be launched from April 2012, the telephone helpline element of the service has been in place since September 2011. It comprises two contracts for helpline services: one providing careers advice to young people, and the other providing information and careers advice to adults. The contract for services to young people requires the contractor to employ staff who are competent to deliver the service; the contract for services to adults requires the contractor to ensure that all advisers hold qualifications appropriate to their role. These requirements will be aligned as contracting arrangements allow to ensure that all telephone helpline advisers will be required to meet the same professional qualification levels. More broadly, the matrix Standard, to which all providers of the National Careers Service must be accredited by April 2013, will ensure that advisers providing helpline and face-to-face careers guidance are suitably qualified and meet these professional standards.